And they have a tough match - Valencia is on fire lately. Would be a bit anti-climatic if the title is clinched while the players are sitting in their homes, but better than being in third-place 16 points behind. [In fact, Atletico play twice before Barca's next match]
I was impressed with the amount of substitution and, of course still getting the 3 points, and no obvious injuries. I think we will see even more rest in the Saturday match (whether we have clinched or not). But nearly every starter has gotten some rest, but I guess Pique and Suarez seem maybe most in need of a game off. Not sure MAtS needs any rest. Wouldn't mind a Huesca type lineup with lots of back ups and Barca B players. Yes, the players say they want to clinch it at home but honestly we need 3 points in 4 games, let's host Liverpool completely rested and focused and destroy them.
I’d rather we win the league in the Camp Nou next week. It’s better to carry that energy onto the Liverpool game...
Rest a lot this weekend, even we lose doesn't matter. It's unwise to risk fatigue or even injury for a dubious psychological advantage of clinching the league earlier.
Agreed. Play Dembele but not the other guys who have logged big minutes. Give guys like Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Alba, Arthur and Pique lots of rest. Don't even include them in the squad IMO.
I dunno. As I implied in another thread if we just win this weekend then can field a full B team in Vigo, which is the better game for resting all the regulars. If we lose to Sociedad, then we would have to take the Celta game somewhat seriously, which would suck! I don't think the players are that tired anyway. Pique played every minute of every La Liga match until recently, but he retired from Spain. That's equivalent to being rested for like 5-6 league games. If he played only 27 La Liga games out of 34, we wouldn't even be talking about him needing rest. But that's essentially the equivalent of what he has played. Similarly for Messi. Suarez is the only one that really looks fatigued. I do wonder though about Ciilessen. Is he ever gonna play or is he just gonna be thrown into the Copa final cold? Or will MAtS play the CdR final?
Well there is cumulative or long term fatigue (we should be good on that front I agree) and then there is short term fatigue. Making your best players go through a full 90 minutes in a difficult match against Levante who are fighting relegation is a bad move when you're playing the biggest match of the season four days after. We could lose to both Levante and Celta and still almost surely win the league. Our priority should be Liverpool. Now if some players say "Coach let us play for 30 minutes. We want to stay warm." then you consider it. But Liverpool is the priority. And to be honest after City beat what is perceived to be their most difficult remaining opponent today, I have a feeling that we will be Liverpool's priority as well. They will still try in the EPL and hope to keep up the pressure and for City to slip up but they will focus on the CL. Make no mistake about it! Even prior to today's result, Liverpool would rather win the CL than EPL. I don't care what journalists say or the some of the English public. CL >>
Yeah, I'm definitely in the rest anyone who possibly needs rest camp. We will get 3 points in 4 games. Atletico may even lose 2 or 3 or more points in their last 4 games (if they have just 1 draw then we just need 1 draw to clinch; if they win out we just need 1 win). The worst case scenario, Liga wise, is that we rest many starters for both Levante and Celta (before both Liverpool legs), and we lose both games, and meanwhile Atleti wins both games. Even in that unlikely scenario we just need 3 points in our final 2 Liga matches (hosting Getafe and at Eibar), or for Atleti to drop points (hosting Sevilla and at Levante). So I'd prefer we at least rest those 'grand once' starters who have not rested in the last 2 games (Pique and Suarez, most of all, less worried about MAtS), maybe rest Semedo and Busquets too, and sub out Raki and Arthur after 60 minutes or so. So maybe MAtS; Roberto, Murillo, Lenglet, Alba; Vidal, Rakitic, Arthur; Dembele, Messi, Malcom. Sub out Raki, Arthur, and Dembele. That is still a stronger squad then we should need. Maybe even more rotation - Oriol Busquets at DM, Wague at RB, Miranda at LB, another start for Alena, etc.
Maybe CL > EPL but they still gotta treat their next 2 EPL matches as must win games, and field thebest players.