PBP: 12/13 Copa del Rey 1/4 1st Leg | FC Barcelona v Málaga CF | 16 Jan 2013 [R]

Very interesting match. Few days ago, Malaga played really, really well. Hopefully we are sharp, and deliver. Excluding Pinto over Valdes, I hope we field a very strong XI.

Malaga played really well and we can, frankly, rest players in Liga with our big point lead (not sure we will yet), so we could see a similar 11 as started at their place over the weekend, but I'd like to see at least 3 or more changes.

Puyol starting would be an upgrade. Adriano or Montoya starting we lose almost nothing. Thiago starting would be nice to see too, we may lose a bit but not much. If Song started for Sergi B we'd lose alot but then Song has been playing better and better in the midfield. Up front Villa is ruled out so the main question is Alexis or Tello for Pedro, not an upgrade but I'd like to see Alexis get the nod.

So maybe this (not really a prediction) but a strong squad with maximal changes from our starting 11 this weekend:
Pinto
Montoya-Puyol-Bartra-Adriano (all new starting 4 plus GK)
Thiago-Song-Cesc (2 changes)
Sanchez-Messi-Tello (2 changes)

Still a remarkably strong team but 9 of 11 changes won't be seen (all but Cesc and Messi above).

Malaga have just signed Lucas Piazon on loan from Chelsea. Wonder if he might see some action in these 2 legs.

Rac1 predicts a lineup with 6 changes from this weekend, not a bad lineup at all: Possible line-up (vs Malaga): Pinto - Alves Puyol Pique Adriano - Xavi Song Thiago - Alexis Messi Iniesta #fcblive [rac1]

Villa is out for this, unfortunately.

I'd like to see this

Pinto

Adriano Pique Puyol Alba

Xavi Busquets Cesc

Alexis Messi Iniesta

Alves has played every minute since the winter break ended and Adriano hasn't had a single minute yet. Rather have him at rightback for the first leg.

Alexis over Pedro so he can try and build some confidence here.

Looks like 4 changes from the weekend match up (Alves ->Adriano; Masch->Puyol; Pedro-> Alexis; and of course Valdes ->Pinto) and two of those changes (the defensive line ones) may well improve the team. So a super strong line up which makes sense if we want to try to kill off the 2 legged draw in the first leg. Just not any CdR love for Montoya, Bartra, Song, JDS, Thiago, or Tello. But again that could make sense if we get a nice lead at home and can play more of those guys in the return match. Also could make sense as our Liga lead is so large that we can afford to do more Liga rotation rather than Copa rotations. Only downside is we are on the road in San Sebastian this weekend (very early game on Saturday too so not much time to rest between fixtures) and I don't think Tito wants to drop any Liga points just yet.

Perhaps we could rest one of Xavi or Cesc and put Thiago/Pedro in instead. I just want the strongest possible team personally because Malaga will play their best side, we're at home so a good result is imperative for us to go through, and as you said, a healthy lead will allow us to play some of those guys in the second leg.

We had the chances to play them against Cordoba and Alaves because, with all due respect, they are lower division sides. Malaga is a Champions League level team so it makes much more sense to play our best side here if we can.

And we've won in Spartak and Levante both away with virtually the same lineup with just a few days' difference. We can do the same this week, especially since there will be no long travelling involved like there was then.

Good discussion, but I have a question regarding Puyol. Are we just resting him every so often because of age?

Is it just a misconception that we will play a lot of youngsters in the Copa Del Rey each year? Especially in the later rounds? Every season we say the same thing, that this young player and that young player will play in the Copa. However, I'm finding that ever since Pep came aboard, that isn't the case, and we're playing our full squad especially towards the "business" end of the tournament. For those that have been watching Barcelona for a decade, have we started to take this tournament more seriously in the past 5 years, or was this always seen as huge tournament? To be honest I can't even remember what happened in Rijkaard's last season, was that the year Valencia won? Or was that 2008?

I only bring these questions up because after last season, I said that I'd like our focus to be: 1 on the league, 2 on the Champions, 3 on the Copa Del Rey. The fixtures pile up in Jan and Feb.

Any feedback appreciated, especially from the OPs (original posters).

Well, I think it has something to do with the success during Ronaldinho & Rijkaard era so it's natural that Barcelona rise their standard since then. After Pep won 14 thropies in 4 years, this team is now conquering every thropy.

I don't see it as trying to kill off Malaga in the first leg. That's unlikely to happen no matter who Barca starts. I think Barca should start the strongest team available in both legs to give themselves the best chance to play LPB in the semis. This is a quarterfinal against a top 5 team. It's not the time to be saving/resting players for something else IMO, especially right after the winter break.

Even if they start with the strongest line up, they can still be sub in second half so I dont see why we should keep resting players.

Remember 4-0 victory over Getafe many years ago? they turned the table in second leg

Actually it was a 5-2 first-leg victory for Barca (Messi scoring the most spectacular goal of his career), which Getafe then overturned in the second-leg by winning 4-nil.

In the past, we didn't take the Copa that seriously (and even forfeited one year). And we did use to play a lot of youngsters. One difference this year is that instead of having a squad of under players, we have 24. So there are a lot more first-teamers who need minutes.

I don't think it's a huge tournament for us now either. But I do believe what I've been reading about how we've incorporated it into the standard training regimen. So it's not like we play a full squad but instead pick the squad depending on who's scheduled for what training.

Pep to Bayern in case you have not seen the news, 3 year contract too. Wow. Good club too, more cohesive than City and Chelsea. Hope to see them in some CL finals just not prevailing (assuming our FCB manages to get there too).

Here's another take on a possible lineup (this one features 6 changes from this weekend's lineup and I think we will see 5 or 6 total changes):

I do think that if we can top the weekend's scoreline, especially if we keep a clean sheet at home, we can kill this draw off as we'll be in their heads especially after just beating them at their grounds where they played an excellent and aggressive pressing game (e.g., if we can get a 3-0 win). No disrespect to Malaga, they are a great team, but some rotation is needed to keep players 1-11 fresh, and 12-18 in game shape and happy. We will see changes and we won't lose much as a result.

official:

tello-------messi--------alexis
------iniesta-----thiago-------
adriano----song------montoya
-----masch------puyol---------
-------------pinto---------------

Good, fresh line-up.
Any win is a good result, but I'm gonna go ahead and predict a great match from us, and a 4-1 win (Messi brace, Alexis, someone).

Malaga (4-2-3-1): Kameni; Gamez, Sanchez, Weligton, Eliseu; Camacho, Iturra; Portillo, Fernandez, Buonanotte; Saviola

Starting Lineup

Pinto

Montoya Puyol Mascherano Adriano

Thiago Song Iniesta

Alexis Messi Tello

Bench: Valdes, Pique, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Cesc, Pedro

Alves, Bartra, and Dos Santos don't make the final match squad and will watch the game from the stands #fcblive

Malaga lineup (official): Kameni - JesusGamez SergioSanchez Weligton Eliseu - SebaFernandez Iturra Buonanotte Camacho Portillo - Saviola

So it's a total of 8 changes from us and 6 from Malaga. The likes of Joaquin and Toulalan aren't even on bench for them, surprisingly.

I just hope we get a good result and hopefully don't concede, Tito might be playing with fire here since he made so many changes. But Malaga did too so I don't know what to expect. Good game of football for sure though.

English stream on Bein so likely Ray once game starts in 4 minutes: http://www.rojadirecta.me/goto/vipusa2.blogspot.com/2013/01/vipracing-4.html