PBP: Copa del Rey | Semifinal 1st Leg | FC Barcelona v Valencia CF | 3 February 2016 [R]

I'm going to assume Barcelona vs Sevilla CDR final..

Pretty good chances there

 

Man, the scheduling for this sucks. Can't we get one week off, one week without a midweek match? Maybe it's just bad memory on my part, but I don't remember it being so bang-bang-bang before.

The team really needs a little rest.

 

In Copa, 3 accumulated bookings = one Copa tie suspension.

Mascherano and Suárez are each carrying two yellows going into this first leg.

 

Second week of March is the next time they get a mid-week off. But I think this is pretty normal (to have most of the Copa del Rey matches squeezed between New Years' and the CL).

At least Barca are playing teams in the league who are also still alive in the CdR, so they aren't really at a disadvantage in terms of rest.

 

Yeah, Boca is correct in that this scheduling pattern is often the norm. Once the New Year hits, it's weekend Liga immediately followed by midweek Copa through January into February.
Occasionally the semifinals are played one month apart, as they were last season (v Villarreal), in 2013 (LPB) and 2009 (Mallorca).
But this season follows the pattern of 2014, 2012 and 2011 with the semi second legs played the week after the first legs.
In 2010 Barca were knocked out in the Octavos de final by Sevilla and so had midweek rests in mid-late January.

 

We are going to need a bit of rotation this month with the games coming twice per week, but we'll still want to get the home win with a very strong team, so I am just predicting that Arda and Vidal sub in for Rakitic (or Iniesta) and Alves and otherwise MAtS in goal and the "grand once" squad:

MAtS
Vidal-Pique-Masch-Alba
Arda-Busi-Ini
M-S-N

Ideally we get a couple goal lead and sub off Iniesta, Busquets, and Mascherano (putting on Rakitic, Roberto, and Mathieu).

 

excerpted from Totalbarca: Coach Neville took control of Los Ches on December 2, 2015 and since has managed them to 5 wins, 5 draws and 3 defeats. Barça are undefeated in 26 games; Valencia are on an 11 game winless La Liga run (their wins under Neville all in CdR). Or how about La Liga goals – Messi – 12, Luis Suárez – 19, Neymar – 16, Paco Alcácer – 9, Dani Parejo – 5, Álvaro Negredo – 3. Valencia still expected to be without leading scorer Paco Alcácer, Javi Fuego or Diego Alves due to injury. Los Ches added Real Madrid man Denis Cheryshev on loan on deadline day, a welcomed addition to the midfield ranks, as well as Sigueira. Possible Starting XI: Ryan – Barragán, Mustafi, Abdennour, Gayà – Gomes, Pérez, Danilo – Feghouli, Negredo, Cheryshev

 

So Madrid noticed that Barca must play Valencia 3 more times this season, and hours later gave them Cheryshev on loan?!

 

Well more importantly they realized that if they loaned Cheryshev to Villarreal then Villarreal would let us buy Suarez back early once Nolito fell through, so they did not allow that even though most accounts say Villarreal offered the most to Real for a Cheryshev loan. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/real-madri...y-by-forcing-denis-cheryshev-valencia-1541487

 

http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...over-whether-cheryshev-can-play-barca-4866706

Interesting, Valencia need two answers re Cheryshev, is he cup-tied having played Copa for Barca, and secondly did he in fact serve his suspension if he played half the game which resulted in Real being kicked out of the Copa?

 

For some reason I don't see a high scoring game!! I think it's gonna be really cagey and 1 mistake will lead to the winning goal and I'm predicting us to win 1-0!!

 

Updating my prediction given Masch and Alves rotation. I actually had Alves resting for Vidal, but now need to pick and new CB as I had Masch starting even with his accumulation of yellow cards. Now I'll guess Lucho starts Mathieu next to Pique at CB so Pique can keep his right side. While Math looks a bit rough at LB he dose better at CB than Verm has lateley and Bartra is right footed so less compatible next to Pique (also neither is as fast as Mathieu).

So
MAtS
Vidal-Pique-MATHIEU-Alba
Arda-Busi-Ini
M-S-N

Bench Masip, Bartra, Adriano, Verm, Raki, Roberto, Munir. Hope to see us get a lead and rest 3 more players, similar to what I suggested in my first prediction.

 

All you need is MSN... You can literally have 8 pylons behind them and thet would still win 5-4 somehow..

Your front 3 are pretty ridiculous

 

Gotta give it up, got one right (at least once I saw Masch was not in the squad list). I'll press my luck and predict the score too: 3-1 to the good guys.

Barcelona line-up (official): TerStegen - Vidal Pique Mathieu Alba - Arda Busquets Iniesta - Messi Suarez Neymar

 

Wait Cherysev can play?

He is a substitute.

 

Valencia coach Gary Neville says his club have double-checked with the Spanish FA to make sure new signing Denis Cheryshev is clear to play in Wednesday's Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at Barcelona.

Cheryshev's only start of the season so far was for Real Madrid in their Copa early round fixture at Cadiz -- an appearance which led to the Bernabeu outfit being thrown out of the competition as the Russia international was ineligible, having picked up a ban on loan at Villarreal last term. quoting this: http://www.espnfc.com/spanish-copa-...-say-denis-cheryshev-cleared-for-copa-del-rey

He's only had one training session so not surprised he is not starting.

If you are Real Madrid are you more mad that he gets to play? Or hoping he can play so Barca will have to work harder or even get eliminated? I would think the latter, but know Flo Perez he'll lodge a protest now that he gets to play.

 

I have no problem with Cherysev being available for this match.
He had to serve a one match suspension.
He was on the pitch against Cadiz but the team was tossed out. So as far as I'm concerned the whole team served a suspension.
The goal he scored did not count.
Suspension served, let him come back.

The cup-tied angle is an interesting one.
His participation against Cadiz is the reason why LPB were kicked out.
But if his goal didn't count because he served the suspension, he shouldn't be cup-tied.
Unsure what to conclude.

 

Great play, Neymar to Luis!

 

nice pressure from Arda , Neymar to Suarez whomakes it 1-0

 

http://www.nosball.com/2016/02/fc-barcelona-vs-valencia-cf-eng.html

 

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