"From champs to chumps... in the same year" | The Other Teams Thread

If you talked to most LPB fans at the end of last season this was the beginning of the end for Barca and the beginning of dominance for Madrid.

7 months later LPB is in 3rd and Barca off to the best start ever. Seems more like last season was an anomaly and Barca will continue where it left off from the three seasons prior.

lol True. It's easy to get caught-up in the moment. I admit I've done it myself. Part of me might be doing it right now.

But mostly I just want Barca (and LPB) to maintain their current form until the next clasico. The previous league clasico came at the one and only time this season that Madrid was in good form.

Well, that's their own fault for thinking that really. They probably thought Tito wasn't good enough as a manager, the likes of Xavi, Alves, and others were on the decline, and that this team was going to find it hard to compete with all the injuries we seem to be getting. Guess what? That's not what's happening. We've played a great, great half season so far (probably the best in the club's history if we're honest) and we are starting to recover the likes of Pique, Puyol, Alexis, and Adriano into top form again. Our squad is big, strong, and it's only missing the likes of Cesc, Cuenca, and Abidal who are ALL possibly going to be back in the next two months.

I can only see a way up from here for us this season and we can compete for all three titles. LPB though have it very very difficult in the Liga, might go out soon in the Copa, and could get a Bayern/Juventus/United in the Round of 16 of the CL. Things aren't looking good for them at all which is only greater for us.

And Espanyol is 19th in the league. Oh happy days.

Any news relating to IBRA's head stomp on the Lyon player last weekend? Seems to warrant at least a 5-game suspension in my view, especially when you factor in that its his second brutal offense of the season already.

Don't have news, but agreed. Violent **** like that should get heavily punished.

First time I've heard about the stomp.
If anything, that 'incident' probably sealed Real Madrid's interest in signing him.
Mourinho probably sees nothing wrong with the play.
Pepe's no doubt watching the video, critiquing and learning from it.
Pepe's probably following Zlatan on twitter as well.
Okay, I'll stop.
For now.

Once a douche always a douche... Can't stand that guy

I forget how long was Pepe's suspension when he pulled this a few years ago? Wasn't it like 10 games?

Hahah lol yep.

3rd-division Eibar scores against Malaga in the CdR. The draw has been kind to Barca so far. Might that continue here? (Barca plays the winner in the next round).

Malaga fielding a fairly strong team in this one too. The American, Gooch, is getting a rare start at the back.

Edit: Very late and important away- goal for Malaga ties it 1-1. Looks like 2 trips to Malaga for Barca in January. At least the close score means they'll probably need to field a strong line-up in the second-leg right before they play Barca in the league.

"Morri Crisma"?

plus barca could land neymar in the near future!

Utter craziness in this futsal goal by Falcão (not that one)... (at 0:30)

In case some people couldn't understand it the first time, here it is with subtitles...

Hoping for two early Xmas presents tomorrow when I wake up and read about tomorrow's CL draw (good team for us and hard one for you know who).

Ibra stomp video:

Be well Tito, take your time, crazy that was announced the same day Abidal was cleared to come back.

Leeds leading Chelsea in the first half

Benitez may not make it to Xmas

Come on Leeds! We want Chelsea to go 0-for-7!

I count 8. Four down, four to lose.
Community Shield
UEFA Super Cup
UEFA Champions League
FIFA Club World Cup
Capital One League Cup
FA Cup
UEFA Europa League
Premier League

In futsal, isn't that Falcao "that Falcao"? Like, The Falcao? In all futsal history, who's better than him? No one?

I don't count the EL since they're only in it because they're out of the CL. It wasn't a trophy they set-out to get in pre-season.
Full credit to teams that begin the competition in August/September and win it, but for CL drop-outs the EL is merely a consolation tournament.

ugh... Mata scores. 1-1

Oh man! Suddenly everyone is scoring for Chelsea**. 1-3

** except Torres

This concerns not only other teams, but also the fans of other teams: we fight and compete against them daily, weekly, annually. Sometimes it's very heated up, and both sides go to pretty dirty rhetorics etc. That said - I'm kinda impressed by how all the enemies and enemy fans have wished Tito well. It's nothing special in a way that it's just normal behavior to wish people well, but still. Thumbs up to everyone, especially to how Real Madrid (and their fans) have reacted. Respect.

Torres finally scores! 5-1 to Chelsea.

Now we get to hear 3 more days of "Has Torres found his scoring touch?" before Chelsea's next game which will likely be another stinker from Torres.

From thumbs in the eye (Who is Tito?) to classy support. Thanks for the support Real Madrid.

Not that Torres has set the world on fire this season, but tbf, he hasn't been all that bad. Chelsea's top scorer anyway. He isn't super lethal, but he is better than the "mythical never scorer" he used to be a while ago.