There has never been a coach that could neutralize a good opponent from creating scoring chances. As dominant as Pep's Barca was, a team like Arsenal, who were already not a top team and if I remember correctly in one tie were missing some starters, created quite a few good scoring chances. Madrid on their trebble run were conceding chances left and right. That's why we say, in CL, you have to ride your luck at times.
Well I think Barca has been very shakey at the back giving away way too much chances and surprisingly giving away too much balls. Against Lyon, United and Liverpool also in La Liga. There are spells where Barca is absolutely chocked for some reason, no composure or organization. Lucky no team has recently been able to take advantage of it. Even at 1-0 at camp nou against Levante they were all over the place. I'm not making this up, go watch the god damn games and you'll see how disorganized they are.
This is true, but thse moments have occurred at less important moments - like Levante or Leganes. Against better sides we have been pretty solid, with the exception of maybe 30 minutes in the Bernabeu and a few short (3 to 8-minute) nervous spells here and there. As mentioned by others we also could’ve scored alot more in most CL games this season, if not all. Should’ve really had 6 in Wembley and 5 at home v Man Utd. And of course could’ve scored 1 or 2 more in the first half v Liverpool.
You’re not wrong . But I don’t think the problem is tactical. A reference point for getting the ball out of the back is Xavi , iniesta and Busquets ... and Alves . There is a clear difference in quality.
luck is a part of the game so you have to accept it. liverpool also was lucky, it should have 4-0 or 5-0. Messi is the greatest. He shines and that is good thing for the team.
Mane should have scored early , Milner and Henderson should have done better..Salah hit the post when it was easier to score..
Sergio Busquets performance vs Liverpool today defines why the best players on the planet are the most intelligent ones. "You watch the game, you don't see Busquets, you watch Busquets, you see the whole game". Effective, intelligent & disciplined in his decision making.#BARLIV pic.twitter.com/CUVo9DBfRO— Football Analysis (@obsessfooty) May 2, 2019 Sergio Busquets’ game by numbers vs. Liverpool:100% take-ons successful 100% tackles won 91% pass accuracy 11 ball recoveries 3 interceptions 3 clearances Phenomenal. 🇪🇸🙌 pic.twitter.com/6umOVwobz9— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 1, 2019
Mane is followed by two defenders and that is one touch finish which is not easy. Stegen is brillant and it is not luck Only salah chance,we are very lucky
If all our chance goes in, we would have thrash them even more. Suarez also hit the post.. Dembele pulled a Higuain.
The chances we had, before Messi's FK and before they got ragged with Dembele's 2 missed chances, were Rakitic's and Vidal's pass backs that should have at least tested the Alison with a shot. Coutinho had a shot straight at Alison. Suarez could have done better with an over the top Messi pass that VvD closed down quickly. Other than that I think there was just some speculative stuff and getting in some dangerous positions.
Milner or Henderson had a great strike but it went straight into Steg’s arms with all the goal gaping .. keeper didn’t have to move an inch
In other words, Liverpool (in those two occasions) were able to create a scoring chance, but lacked quality to finish. Blasting straight at keeper is a classic weakness in finishing situations. Half-way there (create a chance to blow it) is not enough.
There seems to be some doom and gloom despite the 3-0. Certainly agree that the score flattered us a bit. Did a bit of poking around and on WhoScored's commentary they label certain shots as "big chances", there were 7 big chances starting with the Suarez goal at 26th then Mane's missed shot from 18 at 35th, then Milner's volley rocket straight to MAtS at 59th, then Suarez's knee shot to crossbar at 75th, then Messi's goal off the rebound, then Salah's shot unto the post from the 6 yard box (they did not count Firmino's shot, which Rakitic blocked on the goal line which led to Salah's shot, as a big chance) at 84th, and finally Dembele's shot to keeper at 90+6 minute. So "big chances" were 4-3 in our favor, and we converted 2 of 4 and one of the 4 we did not convert led to the conversion of another one. Messi's free kick was not a "big chance" at all, except it was taken by Messi, and Marca is now suggesting he cheated by shooting 3 meters in front of where he was fouled: The new xG (expected goals) stat is controversial but the one I found showed this: Again a win for Barca, but not as flattering as 3-0.
Also they’re counting the Suarez and Messi shots as separate but Messi scored so they should only count as ‘one’ chance as there could have only been one goal scored from the brace of chances ..
In the xG, as I understand it, they do make that exact adjustment. In WhoScored I was just adding up the # of "big chances" which they listed and they listed both as big chances which is fair, though as I pointed out they could have also listed the Firmino shot Rakitic cleared as a big chance, before Salah's even bigger chance.
I agree with the credit for EV. Coutinho did OK, and should've had more time, but he made some critical momentum-slowing mistakes when we were having difficulty getting past mid-field. I think he would not really merit a starting spot if he wasn't playing against his former team. My broadcast showed that Dembele and Alena were warming up at minute 73. I joked in my head that we probably wouldn't see them until minute 89 given last year's experience with Roma and this year's Dembele debacle with the 10-minute warm-ups. Heh. Lo and behold Dembele and Alena at minute 90. I still stand by the idea that it wasn't enough time to settle into the flow of the game. He blew not just one or two opportunities, he blew three.
Sid Lowe on what Vidal brings, good read, Liverpool game focus but really an overview of Vidal and also what he brings to Barca: http://www.espn.com/soccer/spanish-...os-hes-the-pure-fire-barcelona-and-chile-need