Donkey Double EDIT post-game: Huge comeback, we did not look great but 3 points is huge at this stage with BVB on 4 points. We went from this (when down 0-1): BVB 4 Inter 4 Barca 1 Slavia 1 To this tied up: BVB 4 Inter 2 Barca 2 Slavia 1 To finally this with Luis's 2nd: BVB 4 Barca 4 Inter 1 Slavia 1 And our next two should ideally lead to 6 points against Slavia, while BVB and Inter meet twice to divvy up just 4-6 points TOTAL between the two teams. If 4-6 of those points go to BVB then we fight them for first but Inter is Europa bound, any other scenario we will be on top of this group. We'll still have to play Inter in Milan and host BVB but we survived today's dismal start and look good to advance. Of course we will have to get healthier and play better before it matters in terms of actually being a threat to win the CL, but today's 3 points is still a huge step in the right direction.
I think he's scored more recent CL goals in Camp Nou, but has not scored a CL away goal in a couple years. EDIT - so he did score at Camp Nou in first leg vs. Liverpool May 2019, and before that he seemed to score vs. Manchester United but it was scored officially as an Own Goal for Luke Shaw. Prior to that he had not scored at all in the CL since the first leg vs. Roma in 2018. So his prior CL home goals have come in a couple historically bad for Barca two-legged elimination games. His CL Away goal drought still dates back to Roma but that goes all the way to September 2015 against Roma in the group stage game 1 where he got us the lead only for this to happen: .
I know everyone’s supposed to hate on Valverde, but it was a gutsy and correct call to pull off Busquets when he did for Vidal, and move DeJong further back. So much more intensity with Vidal, and Frenkie’s extra mobility over Busi makes a big difference going forward and defensively.
What a couple of goals from Suarez !!! That first touch on the 2nd goal was perfect. Great play from Messi too attracting attention from Inter's defense.
Yeah great first touch into space which allowed him to run onto and blast the goal from space closer in and he did it with his left foot too. The dribbling and pass from Messi were inspired as well. Good to have these two back together at last for Messi's first full game of the season.
I wouldn't sleep on Slavia, especially the away tie. They managed to hold Inter on Matchday 1 and last season they showed tremendous fight against Sevilla when on the brink of elimination and again in the quarterfinals when Chelsea probably took their foot off the pedal in the quarterfinal second leg. And that's not even taking into account Barca's European woes away from Camp Nou. Matchday 4 should be a cakewalk.
Its early and I know he’s 32, but Suarez basically averaging a goal per game this season. Maybe his decline isn’t as steep as thought? Its not like his goals this season were tap-ins either. Griezmann OTOH!
His goal droughts in CL IMO has more to do with the deficiencies of the rest of the team. And I really think Suarez really misses Neymar's influence. It's not really Griezmann's fault he is being played out of position. Like the club learned nothing from Coutinho fiasco.
It's like a chronic problem on that left wing. Think of the expensive but otherwise very capable players we've stuck out there who didn't really belong or adapt to the fullest: Coutinho, Villa, Henry... and so many games even Iniesta was put at LW and he just never fit well there. The exceptions have been Neymar (great but whose play-style always stymied Alba's forward runs), Pedro (the consummate role player and off-the-ball runner), Ronaldinho (the maestro-magician), and back in the day, Stoitchkov (bringing the thuggery to the left wing), etc. etc. But now I'm going way way back...
As much as I love Busquets... once he was subbed off and De Jong played in his position. The pace increased and Vidal aggressiveness and pressing in MF also tipped the game in our advantage... could that be a solution for the majority of the season? A midfield of VIDAL-FDJ-ARTHUR?
he actually has scored quality goals. a ronaldinho goal,a good shot vs valencia, a chip last liga game and two golazos vs inter milan griezmann has been very important for club