So yesterday was not just Leo's 400th win with Barca but Lucho's 100th Liga match as coach. Not a bad record as it means 239 points, 2.39/game=90.82/season (enough to win last year when 91 won it for us, but just behind what we needed to win the year before 94-us, 92-them; would've beaten Atletico's 90 when they won in 2013-14, and still enough for us to win in 2012-13 when we had 100 but 2nd place was just 85): Of course there's one guy whose record would win every Liga ever and given injuries (to Mathieu and Mascherano) we can likely expect him on Wednesday: It's the return of tha gangsta (or here comes that man, Douglas, just another Barca player with more Liga titles than Ronaldo): Home again: midweek again: Gijon just got a big draw at home playing Celta but remain in 18th facing relegation. Celta come here next week and they're bringing Gil Manzano (no relation) that ref from Villarreal v. Real with the Real Madrid goodie bag after he awarded them a penaldo. So some rotation will be in order before Celta/Gil, and then PSG. Injured: for sure Vidal, maybe Mathieu, Mascherano, and Turan. Benched if at least one of those 3 maybes can play Masip. MAtS Roberto-Pique-Umtiti-Alba Raki-Busi-Denis (but we all know Gomes gets a start; bring on Masch for Busi if Masch gets cleared medically) M - Paco - Neymar (sub on Rafinha for Messi, Turan, if healthy, for Neymar - assuming we get a 2 goal lead). Ambitious prediction 4-0
Yeah, if we cannot turn around the PSG scoreline, then there will be almost no midweek games and thus nearly no need for rotation. Plus Masch can be the main back up for not just Pique and Umtiti but for Roberto and even Busi as well, thus still getting the minutes he needs and deserves.
One booking away from suspension: Messi, Piqué Playing on three bookings: Rakitic, Sergi Roberto Upcoming Liga fixtures: J26 (H) Celta J27 (A) Deportivo J28 (H) Valencia
Darn, based on the upcoming fixtures vs. this game, it would've been "ideal" if Messi or Pique were missing this game (assuming Masch or Mathieu could play in Pique's place, otherwise Marlon).
Messi just got his fourth yellow this past weekend against Atletico so there was no possibility of him missing Gijon through card accumulation. Piqué's fourth yellow came in J21 v Athletic Bilbao.
Yeah, was thinking that re Messi, he got another one for dissent. IIRC he was sorta trailing the play ahead of him in the box, thought his teammate was fouled and let the ref know it. They did shake hands post game but such a waste that we will now be without him for a game, sooner than if he just kept his tongue and arm gesture in check.
1st, remember it is earlier than usual for a midweek game, don't tune in at your regular time! 2nd, excerpts from the official site's game preview: If Boyle’s law can be applied to sports, then the pressure FC Barcelona are exerting on the top of the La Liga table must be massive. Heading into a fourth straight round of fixtures just one point off the pace, a victory over visiting Sporting Gijón on Wednesday night — kickoff at Camp Nou is set for 7.30pm CET — will move Barça atop the table, albeit provisionally, for the third time in recent weeks. Such a scenario would once again put, at least according to the laws of physics, an infinite amount of pressure on Real Madrid, which play later in the evening. Team News Apropos to a visit from a 17th-place side — especially when sandwiched between Sunday’s bruising victory over Spanish heavyweights Atlético Madrid and next weekend’s home bout with an invariably tenacious Celta — lies the inescapable quandary of whether to rest the big guns and trot out a mélange of experienced substitutes and eager reserves. Whoever it is, the shroud of mystery enveloping the Week 25 squad list will be pulled back on Wednesday morning. Coaches' viewpoints Despite the family-reunion-type atmospheres that Barça–Sporting encounters have repeatedly conjured up since the Gijón native and former Sporting player Luis Enrique Martínez joined up as Barça’s manager two-and-a-half seasons ago, he eschewed personal emotions at his pregame press conference Tuesday. “I have been a Sporting fan since the day I was born and I always wish them the best, but tomorrow all I want are the three points,” he said. Sporting boss Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, also known as Rubi, appeared to be pinning his team’s hopes on the possibility of some overdue good fortune. “It can always be your day, and they might not be sharp.” Form Guide The Catalans appear to have reclaimed their mojo in the wake of the Paris debacle, a laudable resurgence for a team not accustomed to such startling setbacks. Back-to-back 2–1 wins over Leganés and Atlético Madrid (highlights below), with both triumphs coming on Lionel Messi interventions in the waning moments, have injected the blaugrana machine with a morale-boosting serum that has left them on the threshold of reclaiming first place from archrivals Real Madrid and has rekindled the faint prospect of an epic comeback against the Parisians next week. Sporting, meanwhile, are in dire need of points to avoid sinking further into the relegation zone, where they are currently mired after winning just once, to go with 2 draws and 7 losses, in their last 10 La Liga games. History FC Barcelona have won 11 straight league matches over Sporting at Camp Nou going back to the 1992/93 season. Last year’s game was a wild affair if there ever was one, with the trident single-handedly vanquishing Los Rojiblancos, 6–0 (highlights below). Luis Suárez found the net four times in the final half-hour, two coming on penalty kicks in the 74th and 77th minutes. His other two goals came in the 64th and the 88th. Messi notched a goal in the 12th, and Neymar scored in the 85th, also on a penalty kick. 3rd, here are some predictions from the press/pundits:
Both Arda and Mascherano were medically cleared but only Masch made squad which makes sense as with Mathieu injured Masch is our only spare CB whereas others can cover for Arda. So all first teamers make squad save for Vidal Mathieu Arda and Masip
Pique only has 4 yellows? That's pretty unusual I would guess. When you posted that he was one yellow from a suspension I would've just assumed he was on 9 yellows.
Barça line-up vs Sporting: Ter Stegen, Macherano, Umtiti, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Denis, Rafinha, Messi, Suárez, Neymar. On bench: Piqué, Iniesta, Paco Alcácer, Digne, Sergi Roberto, André Gomes. So Pique rested (and won't get 5th YC before Celta)! 3-4-3! ----------MAtS MASCH-UMTITI-ALBA ---------BUSI --RAKI---------INI ---------RAFI MESSI-SUAREZ-NEYMAR Or it could be that Rafinha gets a try a RB? But I don't think so. I do think that Messi will spend lots of time in the false 9 role where I showed Rafinha, which will leave Raki and Rafi to help defending and providing width on the right flank (as if it is a 3 man D I don't see Masch marauding forward much). This image shows that look, Rafinha out wide, but also Leo out wide, and, gasp Busi as a CB, please god no:
I think it will be : ---------------MATS----------------- Denis-----Masch---Umtiti--------Alba ----------------Busi------------------- -----Rafinha-----------Rakitic------------ -----------------MSN------------------- probably letting Denis practice as RB before the Copa final since Roberto will be suspended , but i gotta love how many formations he tried so far in this season, he just refuses to play one formation and let the players settle with it over time , god i can't wait for him to leave because i can't see the team looking disoriented week in week out anymore
well looking at it right now we defend like this : Masch----Busi-----Umtiti------Alba------- --------------Rakitic---------- Rafinha----------------Denis
Sporting are set up as a 4-1-4-1, so we can essentially play a backline of 2 (Umtiti and Masch) with Alba and Rafinha pushed way up like wingbacks. Lucho is really just asking Rafinha to track back if needed. Messi golllllllll