PBP: UEFA Champions League | Matchday 2 | FC Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen | 29 September 2015 [R]

Discussion in 'Barcelona' started by Viscaelbarca, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. morrissey

    morrissey Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 18, 2000
    West Los Angeles, Calif
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Surprised to say it but we need the Verminator back. Defense has been shambolic since he went down.

    James
     
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  2. evil_allan

    evil_allan Member+

    May 3, 2004
    Turtle Island
    what is his status anyway?
     
  3. NYfan

    NYfan Member

    Sep 1, 2004
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    That pass from Munir to Suarez was beautiful. Really impressed with Sergi Roberto's composure. All three subs were pivotal (particularly on the first goal that was made by the three of them).
    I only watched the second half but the English announcers did make it feel like Bayer should have been up by a half dozen or so. One of them said something about Suarez "rounding into" a world-class player at one point. Really? You are just discovering that he's world class now?
     
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  4. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    At this rate the starting lineup will just be Barca-B :ROFLMAO:

    Already accepting that only a miracle will bring a trophy this season.
     
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  5. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    Didn't watch the game, but damn that Suarez finish ! World class donkey finishing !!!
     
  6. Imperador3

    Imperador3 Member

    Apr 30, 2010
    Club:
    Aris Saloniki
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    First half was one of the worst I've seen us play for some time (didn't watch the Celta game). But Sandro still got two clear chances that he should have scored on.

    Until his injury I think Iniesta was the only one playing well for us, the rest were all below average.

    The three subs all changed the game, and Suarez showed his importance once again. It was not one of his better performances, but he can just score at any moment.

    The last player we wanted to get injured must have been Iniesta at the moment, but luck is just not on our side when it comes to injuries this season.

    I guess we will play with a double pivote now that Iniesta is out for about a month. IMO it will be very crucial to have Alba on the field at all time now, as we will lack creativity in midfield and with Mathieu at LB not much happen from there. Alba completely changed the game IMO.

    I'm very disappointed with Neymar, it's now that he should step up and deliver, unfortunately he just over works every situation and screws it all up constantly. A really bad game from him. He must step it up in the next few games as we can't expect Suarez to save us every game. Munir should also play ahead of Sandro, even though I like Sandro, I believe he is more of a striker and should play centrally if Suarez is rested at some point.
     
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  7. MavadoDribblez

    MavadoDribblez Member+

    Feb 7, 2008
    Ontario
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Didn't see Gilmango's quoted comment by you, but what he said is true. The English announcers were all about Bayer in the first half and the early part of the second half. When Munir missed they said "it would be harsh if they went down by two". Why? Over the course of the match, we had a higher quantity, and better opportunities. That's typical of the biased English commentators when it comes to the Champions League. I laughed at the Suarez "world class" comment.

    They consistently acted like we didn't have any first half chances, when Sandro flubbed two, Neymar's deflected shot hit the post, and Rakitic had a lot more time to bring that ball down and shoot instead of heading it. Not taking any credit away from Bayer because they played a brilliant first half, and we were pitiful. Then the reversed happened in the second half and not really a peep.

    Teams try and press high for as long as they can. Like Real Madrid last season, when we won out 2-1 and could have had more (Neymar especially) in the second half. For the first 50 minutes Madrid had our number, really getting on the defenders and midfielders. Inevitably they tired, just like Bayer, and then all our chances come flooding through. It's like running a 800m race, and sprinting the whole first lap, and fading out of the medals by the end. It's a tactic, but it ultimately didn't work. However the media jumps on the first half performance and lauds Bayer (which they should), but then ignores the fact that the second half played out differently.

    After minute 55 of this match, we were the only one's creating chances, but it was "I've never seen anyone come here and do that (still referring to the first half)". Yeah, Valencia did that last season, but they wouldn't know because they don't watch La Liga. Every time someone scores against us it's "this result will shock the whole of Europe". People don't like Ray Hudson, those commentators are annoying because they are so biased.

    I feel like I need to add in a "donkey" comment somewhere to get a few reps though :p
     
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  8. MavadoDribblez

    MavadoDribblez Member+

    Feb 7, 2008
    Ontario
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    To follow up on one of Viscaelbarca's posts, it seemed like Lucho should have had the team prepared for the same tactics in both this match and the one against Celta. Anyone reading any articles prior to the match, knew how the opponents were going to play. I think the Celta match was worse, because we were just outplayed, period. The entire match. Didn't deserve a result at all. In this match, I felt we did.

    I don't know it seemed like Busquets, Rakitic and Alves didn't switch their passion-meter to "on". There were a lot of players who were too casual in the first half today, it could have been a combination of their high press and the fact that we're in the midst of a 7 match in 22 days run. Plus a poor pre-season.

    I have to say that if Neymar doesn't step up starting this weekend, then by the time Messi is ready to come back, with all the injuries we have, it could be game over in the league. He needs to earn the money, and now is the time.
     
  9. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    :confused::rolleyes: What a load of nonsense! You've said some dumb shit on here, but this takes the cake!:notworthy:

    Still infinitely sooner than a certain mouth-breather. :cautious:
     
  10. unclesox

    unclesox BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 8, 2003
    209, California
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    In the post of mine you quoted, where did I make that assumption?
     
  11. Rana catesbeiana

    Mar 11, 2008
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Performances this early aren't too indicative of how we play in the spring months, but fwiw, we lead our CL group, we don't lead Liga but stand above our title-rivals (no disrespect to Villarreal), and in the coming weeks and months, we're looking to become stronger by Bravo, Vermaelen, Aleix Vidal, Arda, Iniesta, Messi, and maybe another attacker.

    I reckon we are the likeliest team to win Liga, even with our weaknesses. Cup competitions are tricky, as is obviously Liga, but seems to me you're way too negative (or joking).
     
  12. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    Yeah the reinforcements will help. Right now its about surviving until New Years Day... or at least until Messi returns. Chelsea and Juve didn't improve their squads over the summer and we see what's happening to them. Barca couldn't improve either and they also look like a shadow of their former selves (mind you, no worse than last season at this time).
     
  13. inswinger

    inswinger Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 17, 2001
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    It was in Gil's comment; I was just continuing that thread of continuing conversation.

    I think this group will stay tight maybe all the way to MD6.
     
  14. Gilmango

    Gilmango Member+

    Jul 20, 2006
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, it was more my assumption. When the draw came out there were 3 teams with solid aspirations to advance to CL. BATE is not one of those teams, and Barca was generally considered a near sure thing to at least advance (whether in first or second). My main point was not that BATE will not get any points, but rather that the difference in who advances often comes down to can you get the 6 points or at least 4 from the minnow in the group, rather than head to head. And like I said along those lines, it was actually a good day for Bayer in that Roma dropped all 3 to the minnow, a squad which Bayer already handled at home 4-1. Now maybe Bayer will lose in Belarus, maybe Roma will beat BATE at home, but for now Bayer is ahead thanks to beating BATE while Roma lost to them. Roma's odds of advancing are low now. As for Barca the road CL games are an achilles heel and we'll be without Messi, Rafinha and maybe others but hopefully we leave Belarus with 1 or 3 points, and definitely get 3 at home.
     
  15. Italy-Azzurri-Fan

    Nov 15, 2014
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Could you please post a link on where you get all these odds from? I want to know the odds of all UCL groups.
     
  16. Gilmango

    Gilmango Member+

    Jul 20, 2006
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well the link won't show you how the odds have changed over time, but I do trace that overall odds to win CL in this thread here: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/2015-16-uefa-champions-league-draw-the-road-to-milan.2024060/

    There you can see Roma went from 80:1 to win it all, to 100:1 (and even 113:1 on a single site) after it was drawn with Barca and Bayer and BATE. Barca stayed a constant 3:1. Bayer went from 160:1 (when they had to beat Lazio to even get into it) to 155:1 after beating Lazio but pre-draw, to 150:1 post draw (basically the odds makers favored Roma over Bayer to advance along with Barca but realized it would be no walk in the park for Roma, nor an impossible dream for Bayer. I never tracked BATE odds as they tend to be enormous like 1,000:1.

    As of today, however, Bayer is only 100:1 while Roma is 150:1 to win it all. So they flip flopped after the BATE debacle, even though Roma grabbed a point against Barca while Bayer got none. http://www.oddschecker.com/football/champions-league/winner

    As far as just the group odds you can find all sorts of those, I think odds to advance is the most relevant but you can also find odds to win the group, to finish 2nd, 3rd, to name the entire order, etc. http://www.oddschecker.com/football/champions-league/champions-league-group-e/to-qualify
     
  17. inswinger

    inswinger Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 17, 2001
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Lucho at presser not happy with Camp Nou crowd:
    “We didn't deserve whistles, at 2 - 1 we didn’t need support”
     
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  18. evil_allan

    evil_allan Member+

    May 3, 2004
    Turtle Island
    he's right. the fans should accept that the team is in a difficult situation - through no fault of their own - and that their expectations should not be as high as usual this season, even after Arda and Vidal join the team. an awful lot is being asked of the remaining players in the squad, and they need support, not whistles. the whistles don't help anyone but the opposition.
     
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  19. inswinger

    inswinger Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 17, 2001
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    He's also not ignorant of the fan culture at the Camp Nou: it can often be very quiet during matches. The crowd generally watches and reacts to the play, rather than creates a supportive atmosphere. That goes both for the old socis who want to study the match mostly in silence and the tourists who attend expecting a spectacle every time.

    Boixos Nois used to provide that clamor, for better or worse. Since they've been banned from the stadium, match atmosphere has suffered except in "big important matches" like Clasicos or CL knock-out rounds.
     
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  20. Rana catesbeiana

    Mar 11, 2008
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    I agree the whistles don't help and personally I'd never whistle, but I kinda think people have a right to express their opinions. If they want to whistle, they can whistle. But of course it's common from a coach to ask for more support for the team, regardless of how people should act in matches.

    I also don't buy that the expectations shouldn't be high this season. Why wouldn't they be? Obv we can't get treble every season, but people are not asking for that kinda stuff. We're gonna be very tough to beat in Liga table and everybody knows this, same in CL, CdR.

    (Lots of good stuff from Lucho in other parts of the presser)
     
  21. evil_allan

    evil_allan Member+

    May 3, 2004
    Turtle Island
    sure, of course they have the right to express themselves. the point is that the way they express themselves in the stadium does have an impact on the players. and when the team has it's backs against the wall, like they did yesterday, do they want to help lift the team or make things more difficult for them?

    and when i say expectations should be lower this season i just mean we shouldn't expect total dominance. you can't expect fireworks from half a squad. this team has to cope with injuries to Messi, Iniesta, Rafinha, Bravo, Vermaelen, Alba, Piques suspension, and still hasn't replaced Xavi and Pedro. and the players who have to step into these giant holes are mostly talented but inexperienced rookies who are being overworked and often played out of position. given that situation, it is unreasonable to expect this team to dominate every minute of every match. under the circumstances, i actually think the team has done a fantastic job grinding out results so far.
     
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  22. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    Doesn't the whistling put pressure on the team and thereby help them? Being reminded that losing 0-1 to Leverkusen is a poor scoreline doesn't hurt IMO. And as a professional athlete you have to expect fans to be dissatisfied when you're playing sub-par.
     
  23. evil_allan

    evil_allan Member+

    May 3, 2004
    Turtle Island
    if that's all the crowd is doing, that's fine. but i don't think that's what was happening. the crowd was booing specific actions and specific players when they made mistakes - like mathieu when he made a poor clearance in the box. they're not saying 0-1 isn't good enough, they're saying that specific players aren't good enough. they might be right, but but i don't see how that helps the players or the team as a whole. and Lucho doesn't exactly have many options on the bench, so it's gets them nowhere.

    Lucho said something along the lines of: if the players are running and putting in maximum effort, support them. if they are not running or working hard enough, then boo them. i think that's fair.

    the team is tired, stretched, and struggling to reach their own standards. but they can't be faulted for effort.
     
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  24. inswinger

    inswinger Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 17, 2001
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Not sure there's anything that will turn some of you MAtS haters around (not naming names here), but take a look at this video:

    Ter Stegen demanding Suárez (in perfect Spanish) to cover the front of the small area before Leverkusen's goal. "Look for the first post"

    https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha...s/10153047477846697/&display=popup&ref=plugin


    And before we start hating on Suarez, here's a nice video of him giving the perfect reaction to Papadopolous mocking him during the match:

    649559902264799233 is not a valid tweet id
     
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