PBP: UEFA Champions League - Matchday 6 | FC Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur | 11 December 2018 [R]

Will be interesting to see if we go or not for this match. I'm up for either, we only have two matches this year after this game.

 

Yeah, having won the group already, do we play a strong lineup at all and go for a win? Or try to rotate the squad more and avoid injuries?

 

I guess the yellow card situation comes into play too. Don't want any key player to pick up his 2nd yellow of the competition in this match.

 

I fully expect a medium effort. There is nothing at stake for the team, so no reason to go 100% for it, but then again it's a CL night at Camp Nou so not a day-off either, and of course for non-regulars a chance to give a good impression.

 

--Coutinho----Munir-----Denis--
-----------Alena-----Arthur---------
Miranda-------Vidal-----Semedo
--------Vermaelen--Chumi-------
-----------------Cilessen------------

 

I like it, I could see Messi wanting to start in which case Denis might start on the bench (if EV agrees with Leo), I'd also like Oriol Busquets and Riqui Puig to get some time but they could come on for Vidal and Arthur as subs. Shame Malcom is hurt. Shame about Dembele being super late too and then joking about it.

 

Squad list out now. Immediate takeaways are that it is a strong squad, about as strong as possible given injuries, and it includes Luis Suarez and Dembele (despite knee and despite tardiness, respectively), and only 1 Barca B player (Miranda) though it still lists Alena by his old #26, not his official first team #21. This suggests to me that we will play a stronger team. It is a 19 person squad so 1 person will be dropped. Injured at the moment: Umtiti, Roberto, Samper, Malcom.

 

What's the deal with Dembele being late again, reliable source?

Dude seemed to have gotten it together a little bit lately.

 

https://www.sport-english.com/en/ne...o-try-and-help-himrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-7193900

http://www.espn.com/soccer/barcelon...er-he-was-two-hours-late-for-training-sources

What is a bit weird is that he is in the match squad, also weird that Luis Suarez is too as Valverde has now said he won't play Suarez twice in 3 days. He also said this about competing:
"I know Tottenham rested players for this game, like Harry Kane, we couldn't do that. There are some players with knocks, like Luis Suarez. He's just come back from a knee problem and he won't play two games in three days. "We will see about Messi, but the important thing is those that play are motivated and want to win the game."
"Inter don't have to worry about us [relaxing]," Valverde added. "Our intention is to win the game, but if they had beaten Tottenham they wouldn't have to worry about this situation now." https://www.sport-english.com/en/ne...or-champions-league-game-vs-tottenham-7193903

 

Yeah that's strange. Sad about Malcom, he would've been perfect player to play this game.

 

I think even if it is for show you have to be fair to Inter, we would want the same if it was the other way round. I really don't like Spurs so I am hoping we put out a strong team.

 

Yeah, this was a great chance to do some rotation but also its a bit unsporting to play a weakened side. IT would be one thing if Inter had the tiebreaker on Spurs, but since Inter are definitely eliminated with a Barca loss it would look pretty bad to field a B team and lose.

I think Messi also wants to retire at the #1 goal scorer in Europe and this is a match where he can score 2 or 3 in, so he'll like feel strongly about playing.

 

My official prediction of what E.V. will do, strong squad, Suarez rested, Dembele stays in squad but not given the start:

Ter Stegen;
Semedo, Piqué, Vermaelen, Alba
Vidal, Busi, Arthur
Messi, Munir, Coutinho​

From the 19 man match squad the bench would then be: Cillessen, Lenglet, Miranda, Denis, Raki, Busi, Dembele. stands: Luis Suarez.

 

The Barca twitter just posted Messi is not in starting XI.

 

So guess it looks like this:

Cillessen
Semedo-Lenglet-Vermaelen-Miranda
Alena-Rakitic-Arthur
Dembele-Munir-Coutinho​

Curious what the Tottenham and especially the Inter fans think? I mean it is a strong enough team but no Messi, no Busquets, no Alba, no Pique, no Vidal, no Suarez although some of those may well get subbed on.

 

And yet he persists with bladdy Rakitic !

On current form I'm not sure that leaving out Busqs , Suarez or Pique is any big deal tbh

 

Dembélé... 1-0

In your face EV! and all other haters!

 

Fuuuck what a goal.

 

That's why we have to turn a blind eye to Dembele being late for training ...

 

Great long pass from Munir