Tuesday, 17 April 2018 21:00 BARCELONA TIME Estadio Balaídos PREVIOUS MEETINGS SCdR 12-01-2018 FT Barcelona 5 : 0 Celta Vigo SCdR 05-01-2018 FT Celta Vigo 1 : 1 Barcelona SLL 02-12-2017 FT Barcelona 2 : 2 Celta Vigo SLL 05-03-2017 FT Barcelona 5 : 0 Celta Vigo SLL 03-10-2016 FT Celta Vigo 4 : 3 Barcelona SLL 15-02-2016 FT Barcelona 6 : 1 Celta Vigo VISCELBARCA
Let's see how EV negotiate the lineup considering we are plyaing the Copa final 4 days after this match.
Sergi Roberto begins the match on three bookings. Upcoming Liga fixtures: J35 (A) Deportivo J36 (H) Real Madrid J34 (H) Villarreal
Copa del Rey lineup is pretty set, I think, like this MAtS, Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Coutinho, Raki, Busi, Ini; Messi, Luis. So working backwards, who might need rest? Busi - still getting over injury? Iniesta - best when well rested? Either of the CBs? Alba? Roberto? Raki? I am guessing for this difficult away fixture EV will just rest a couple starters, Iniesta and Busquets. And starts will go to Dembele (rt attacking mid/wing) and Paulinho (with Raki as double pivot when pressed, otherwise usual box to box), so Coutinho takes Ini's right attacking mid spot. I would also welcome a Semedo start or Denis start or even a Paco start; a Verm or even Mina start but not holding my breath.
You're right, my bad. Also not sure if Rakitic has been cleared from his fractured finger in time for Celta, but he is supposedly expected to be cleared by the time of the Copa final. Makes sense Rakitic is not in the squad list, Busquets, Pique & Iniesta rested too. Digne is back after 3 weeks out injured, and Mina and Vidal make the squad again: So we are missing 3 midfielders and a CB. I'd like to see Roberto play midfield. MAtS Semedo-Umtiti-Verm-Alba Paulinho-Gomes-Roberto-Coutinho Messi-Suarez I'd prefer to start Dembele and play Paulinho more centrally with Gomes on the bench but above is my best guess of what EV does.
Marca prediction is similar to mine but with Dembele starting and not Paulinho, and Paco instead of Luis; they also have Verm playing RCB instead of Umtiti:
I'll have to go over it again but I have him with seven: Piqué J2 (A) Alavés J4 (A) Getafe J7 (H) Las Palmas J10 (A) Athletic Bilbao J12 (A) Leganés J19 (A) Real Sociedad J32 (H) Valencia
Mina gets a start too (Pique and Umtiti rested), Digne gets a start (Alba rested), Semedo, Denis, Gomes, Paulinho all get starts (Raki, Busi, Ini, and Roberto all rested). Paco and Dembele get starts (Messi and Suarez rested). MAtS Semedo-Mina-Verm-Digne Denis-Paulinho-Gomes-Coutinho Dembele-Paco If the streak ends it ends but (hopefully it won't and) at least all should be rested before the Copa final, and we do have Liga virtually won. We could literally see an entirely different team start the Copa final (though I think Coutinho still starts). Cillessen; Roberto-Pique-Umtiti-Alba; Coutinho-Raki-Busi-Ini; Messi-Suarez. Only Aleix Vidal is left out among our first team players who don't usually start. Hopefully he will get to play today. EDIT - Captain is MAtS!
Took me a while but you are correct. I missed his booking against Celta in Jornada 14. He was booked post match in the players' tunnel for arguing a decision. It's not listed on the RFEF match review page but is listed in the referee's match report a couple of pages later ("OTRAS INCIDENCIAS"). So Sergi Roberto and Piqué are each two bookings away from suspension. Upcoming Liga fixtures: J35 (A) Deportivo J36 (H) Real Madrid J34 (H) Villarreal
Although I like that bench players are being given an opportunity I do fear the unbeaten run is in jeopardy, which is a shame because I very much value that "0" in the loss column. Still... ¡Visça El Barça!
Wow! Unbeaten streak in some jeopardy with that lineup. Especially since Iago always seems to look like Maradona when playing Barca.
Shitmes as DM haha what a joke of a coach Valverde is , poor Masch was let go because of Shitmes and he is about to break our unbeaten streak , the guy who spent an entire 90 minutes without a single successful attempt to get the ball from the opponent is playing as a defensive midfielder
Surprising on the surface but looking over the lineup he appears to be the most senior Barca player (most appearances with the club). So I'd say it's earned it in that respect but I do wonder if he has the temperament and leadership to wear the armband? Very happy for him, though.
¡Los protagonistas del #CeltaBarça ya calientan en Balaídos! https://t.co/8muiQYET4b— LALIGA (@LaLiga) April 17, 2018
Yeah, happy for him, and remarkably of the starters tonight MAtS joined the same summer as Vermaelen (2014) but has played more for Barca (plus Verm was loaned out last year). Only Denis Suarez joined Barca earlier by 1 year - in 2013, but he joined Barca B and also was loaned out a couple years and has not played nearly as much first team football. And ZERO La Masia players unless we count Denis who joined Barca B when he was about 19. That's kind of sad.
Mina gets thrown in against a very attacking team after spending months in the stands, if he doesn't play the perfect match he gets criticised...
Very naive from Gomes causing a counter like that and losing attacking momentum with his inability to make the right decision yet again
I just hate how easily Gomez gifts the ball in attacks for opposition, million miles of space and time and he casually hits defender.