Thursday, 25 January 2018 21:30 BARCELONA TIME Camp Nou Previous few visits to the Camp Nou SLL 09-09-2017 FT Barcelona 5 : 0 Espanyol SLL 18-12-2016 FT Barcelona 4 : 1 Espanyol SLL 08-05-2016 FT Barcelona 5 : 0 Espanyol SCdR 06-01-2016 FT Barcelona 4 : 1 Espanyol SLL 07-12-2014 FT Barcelona 5 : 1 Espanyol VISCAELBARCA
Do we have a better option? Messi has gone through PK slumps before and eventually got through them. Might as well stick with him.
3 Copa bookings = 1 Copa match suspension. Barcelona have no players with two yellow cards. Espanyol have two players on two yellow cards: David López, Gerard Moreno.
Based on headlines this game could see the return of Iniesta, the debut of Coutinho, and the farewell to Mascherano (though the latter may be separate from any game in CdR or Liga): https://www.sport-english.com/en/ne...bye-to-barcelona-supporters-this-week-6568835 https://www.barcablaugranes.com/201...-iniesta-javier-mascherano-espanyol-barcelona Vermaelen out two weeks, Arnaiz also injured for Barca B, not sure duration.
Now it looks like a farewell to Masch may precede the game. Javier Mascherano will take part in an official farewell before FC Barcelona’s clash with Espanyol in the Copa del Rey, according to Diario SPORT. The Argentine has long been understood to be on the verge of joining Chinese side Hebei Fortune. According to the report, the event is secret right now because Mascherano has to give final approval. It also says that the player had initially resisted the idea of having an event, because he dislikes the spotlight, but was convinced that this was the best way to say goodbye. Another juicy tidbit in the report: Mascherano supposedly has assurances from the club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, that he will be able to return to Barcelona as a coach.
Too bad. This weekend seemed like a good opportunity for him to make a final start: Vermaelen is injured and not too important of a match at home . Plus start of the Chinese super league season still nowhere in sight.
Well I don't know their plans, I think the idea is to salute him before the game, but I am hoping the only 'suit' he will be in will be the blaugrana uniform and that he will also be in the match squad and possibly starting. I think that's what he'd want, his teammates want, and the fans too. Plus I understand that Barca has some sort of arrangement in the transfer worked out with Heibei where all is good so long as he can play when they resume in March (and financial penalty, meaning reduced fee if he is not ready to go in March) when their season resumes.
lol but yeah kind of important in all seriousness. Looks like Atleti is going out in this round. Maybe Valencia too. If we can't beat Espanyol then we've all but handed LPB the cup! Not only would LPB win, the competition probably won't even be tough enough to wear them out for the CL and league. I bet they'd beat Espanyol 9-nil in the semifinal!
Farewell might Masch, a true Barca legend, wish you would have stayed till the end of the season, but i wish you the very best for the future.
Update seems to be Masch said farewell to team at dinner Monday night, will say goodbye to press and fans on Wednesday, will not be likely to play again. Instead both Iniesta and likely Coutinho will be in the match squad vs. Espanyol (and if Coutinho makes that squad Masch won't as Coutinho will be wearing #14 jersey). So I really think Masch won't be on Camp Nou pitch again as a player. Thanks Masch! Iniesta will likely start, and Coutinho is more likely to come on only if we get control of the match (e.g., 3-0) as they don't want his debut to be in a high stress game, trying to come back or preserve a thin lead in a derby. So if we are battling till the end then maybe Coutinho doesn't debut till Alaves on the weekend (at Camp Nou too).
Does that also mean that we'll see Yerry Mina included in the squad as Vermaeln is injured? I hope so!
I think so, squad list out in a few hours. Like Coutinho's debut, whether we see Yerry may depend on whether we can get a comfy lead (3-0 since they have the away goal tiebreaker if they score, so 2-0 not comfy at all). So hope we can score in the first half (not wait till 2nd) and debut both our new signings in the second half.
I'm really going to miss him. A good player who stepped up to do whatever was asked of him whenever it was asked. Given injuries right now I really wish we weren't losing him.
Agreed. But even though he was not La Masia I appreciate the amount of class which is being shown by the club around his departure, including not forcing him to wait till summer. We will soldier on without our little chief.
Yerry Mina and Philippe Coutinho are both a step closer to making their debuts for FC Barcelona. Both have been included in Ernesto Valverde’s squad for Thursday’s Copa del Rey quarter final second leg against Espanyol. The Colombian has been picked after training for the last few days with his new team-mates, while the Brazilian has been declared recovered from the injury that has prevented him from playing since joining the club from Liverpool. That’s not the only good news. Andrés Iniesta and Paco Alcácer are both fully fit and have been included in the list of names that will be looking to turn around the 1-0 deficit from the first leg. Thomas Vermaelen and Ousmane Dembélé are still battling to regain fitness, while the coach has opted to leave out the names of both Gerard Deulofeu and Denis Suárez. The full list is therefore as follows: Ter Stegen, Cillessen, Semedo, Piqué, Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta, Luis Suárez, Messi, Coutinho, Paulinho, Paco Alcácer, Jordi Alba, Digne, Roberto, André Gomes, Aleix Vidal, Umtiti and Yerry Mina. The announcement was made moments after the team had completed their Wednesday evening workout. The session, which also included Carles Aleñá of Barça B and Iñaki Peña of the U19 team, started with hearty applause for Luis Suárez, who is celebrating his 31st birthday today. My best guess is pretty much strongest squad possible, could also see Paulinho in for Semedo with Roberto moving back, or even Paco as a 3rd forward (so Semedo sits and Roberto moves back): Jasper C Semedo-Pique-Umtiti-Alba Roberto-Raki-Busi-Ini -----Messi---Luis Suarez
Note that the outcome of this match could determine whether the league clasico scheduled in May will matter for more than pride. As it stands, if Barca enter el clasico with at least a 10 point lead the game won't matter (except maybe for the Guard of Honor ). But the CdR final is played on 21 April (on the weekend) which may cause Barcelona's league match against Villarreal to be postponed until after el clasico (although also depends if Barca and/or Villarreal are still playing in Europe). The Madrid v Sevilla match scheduled that weekend will almost certainly get postponed because both teams are still alive in Copa. So there's a decent chance that there will be three league matches after el clasico instead of just two, but only if Barca dispose of Espanyol tomorrow.