Pre/During/Post Match Thread | Jornada 10 La Liga | Granada CF v FC Barcelona | 25 Oct 2011 [R]

Very bad game IMO. Ridiculous how much Villa and Messi screw up in front of goal.

If we would have played a better team we wouldn't have won this game. Against Sevilla we played much much better.

Cuenca did ok IMO. Nothing spectacular. Seems to be quite two-footed and really quick. Very weak though, not protecting the ball that well. But I guess he can be a player to count on for some games like this.

Nice that Alexis is back soon, we need him. I think even Afellay could have been helpful in a game like this. Too bad he is out for so long.

hard to rate him here with the whole team looking pretty apathetic, but he really didn't do anything to impress, had one clear one-on-one chance with the 'keeper and blew it. offered very little movement off the ball, but then neither did pedro - and later villa - on the other flank, so i suspect pep might actually have asked the team to play at walking pace to conserve their energy for later.

Cuenca looked OK but would not be getting minutes IMO if Alexis or Affelay were ready to play. I did like that he was willing to shoot and to take on defenders off the dribble, however he was not successful with either.

Messi and Alves have lost 55% of the balls tonight vs Granada. #fcblive

I wonder if they ever lost that many before.

This game was just about getting the 3 points. It was a tired, lethargic performance, some of the players need a break.

Messi needs to rest. He's not even trying lately and has been losing many balls. I'm surprised Pep doesn't see this and is still giving him the full 90 minutes.

Boring match overall , Xavi made the difference he was great.

Messi, Pedro, Alves, and Villa have been so poor lately, nowhere near their standards.

Scrappy win but I'll take it.

Messi, Villa, Pedro, Alves have all been scrubin it up a lot lately, especially messi. From his body language he seems depressed it like hes not even trying...bench him for a game or two so he can pull himself together and get some rest.

Hold on a minute, Messi not trying, blimey, he's had a couple of indifferent games after having about 5,000 brilliant ones and all of a sudden he's not trying. Good grief, talk about hard to please. To me he looks like he's carrying a knock and needs to be rested, that's all. Lets keep things in perspective.

More worrying for me is the form of Pedro, he hasn't played well all season, imho, just as well that Alexis will be back soon.

This was the worst game of the season for me. I felt like we dominated Sevilla, and if not for Varas, it would have been a four or five goal win. That was a great game (except for the result). This one, out of the two, should have been the one where we dropped points, plus it was frustrating. Fantastic FK from Xavi. Messi has not played well at all in the past two games, he was not even making simple passes properly which has to be a result of fatigue. I think on the football weekly a few weeks ago Sid Lowe said he doesn't remember the last time Pep subbed off Messi in a match. Does anyone here remember? Anyways we got three points, but no one outside of Xavi played particularly well. Cesc was anonymous and Villa was not really a big factor when he came on. Messi has played better than outstanding, so I guess exceptionally well....and he's the best in the world, but he needs a rest too. Pep needs to make sure that Messi AND Xavi get a rest soon.

Messi needs a rest, I know he always wants to play, and lets face it we all want to see him play in evrry game as well. But he just needs a couple of games where he starts on the subs bench. Remember he's also played in the Copa so has not had a proper break.

sure. but with the injuries to affelay, alexis, and pedro, he is not going to be getting that rest any time soon.

Match #17

Liga BBVA, Jornada 10
Granada - Nuevo Los Cármenes

Granada CF 0-1 FC Barcelona
0-1 : Xavi 33'









[LINEUP-4-3-3]Pedro, Messi, Cuenca,
Fàbregas, Busquets, Xavi,
Maxwell, Abidal, Mascherano, Alves,
Valdés[/LINEUP-4-3-3]
56' Villa for Pedro
71' Iniesta for Fàbregas
84' Keita for Xavi

Referee: César Muñiz Fernández (Asturias)
BOOKINGS
3' Uche (foul on Mascherano)
26' Alves (foul on Dani Benítez)
35' Fran Rico (foul on Pedro, advantage played)
35' Jaime (foul on Fàbregas)
53' Jaime (foul on Maxwell) double booking
62' Busquets (foul on Abel)
63' Dani Benítez (foul on Busquets)
66' Cuenca (deliberate handball)
87' Nyom (foul on Villa)
90' Keita (foul on Mainz)
90+2' Dani Benítez (kicking ball away) double booking