La Liga Week 12

eZe^ · 22-11-2008 4:31pm #1

Saturday, November 22, 2008
19:00 UK Real Madrid v Recreativo Huelva - Draw
19:00 UK Villarreal v Valladolid - Beeyareal
21:00 UK Sevilla FC v Valencia - Balencia

Sunday, November 23, 2008
16:00 UK Numancia v Atlético Madrid - Atletico
16:00 UK Osasuna v Almeria - Draw
16:00 UK Mallorca v Málaga - Malaga
16:00 UK Racing Santander v Espanyol - Draw
16:00 UK Sporting Gijon v Real Betis - Betis
18:00 UK Barcelona v Getafe - Barcelona
20:00 UK Deportivo La Coruña v Athletic Bilbao - Id love Athletic to win.

Potentially Schuster's last game? The game of the round is definitely Sevilla vs Valencia, with Valencia wanting to make up for their lack lustre performance last week. Getafe are in freefall this season, atrocious at times, they miss Laudrup, Barcelona should win comfortably enough, and who knows, maybe next week Schuster will be back at Getafe. :P

eZe^ · 22-11-2008 7:27pm

Madrid game is still 0-0, but for how long? Both teams look like they are going for it.

redout · 22-11-2008 7:39pm

Great strike.

Take that back. Deflection.

eZe^ · 22-11-2008 8:55pm

Villareal give up their unbeaten start to the league season by getting thrashed 3-0 by Valladolid at El Madrigal. Maybe they were readying themselves for Utd in the week, but either way it's good for Barca.

redout · 22-11-2008 9:02pm

eZe how good where they in the second half, any improvement on the first ?. Switched over to Inter v Juve.

redout · 22-11-2008 10:55pm

Sevilla 0-0 Valencia . Not the best of games that. Sevilla nearly stole it at the death. Looking good again so far for Barca bar the Real result.

eZe^ · 23-11-2008 5:30pm

Getafe had a good model worked the past couple of years that wasn't reliant on any one coach, it was reliant on a type of coach, Schuster and Laudrup fit that bill. Young and attack-minded coaches that could slip in and motivate the team. Munoz doesn't fit that model, so inevitably the team has struggled. What was Munoz like at Panathanaikos? Either way, I expect us to win, probably in an easy enough fashion. If we want to win the Liga this year then we need to be comfortably beating teams like this.

Messi left out of the 18 man squad to play Getafe, starting line up;

VV

-Alves

Pique

Puyol

Sylvinho-

Keita

Toure

Xavi

---Bojan

Etoo

Hleb

An Citeog · 23-11-2008 6:26pm

Getafe 1-0 after 20 minutes. The game's been fairly scrappy so far but I can still see Barça winning. The crowd is dead aswell!

Big Chief · 23-11-2008 6:59pm

dont know, the end of the first half i even fancied getafe for another at one stage.. barcelona are not the creative fluid side ive been watching all season tonight..

An Citeog · 23-11-2008 7:10pm

Hleb has absolutely no conviction in the way he plays, always cutting back into traffic and afraid to take a shot on. Barça are really missing Messi and Iniesta in this game. I still think they'll score though.

redout · 23-11-2008 7:13pm

Offside but what an amazing miss by Bojan.

Haha.....then off he goes.

The commentators here in Spain where pissing themselves with that !

An Citeog · 23-11-2008 7:29pm

1-1 Keita

redout · 23-11-2008 7:36pm

Valdes is looking shaky again. Nearly let that one slip in just before the equaliser and the Getafe goal he should have done better. Keepers should not be beaten with shots along the ground (in the air totally different story) from outside the box especially if they have a clear view. I honestly could not beleive that actually went in and judging by the look on Valdes face I dont think he could either.

An Citeog · 23-11-2008 7:42pm

redout wrote: »

Valdes is looking shaky again. Nearly let that one slip in just before the equaliser and the Getafe goal he should have done better. Keepers should not be beaten with shots along the ground (in the air totally different story) from outside the box especially if they have a clear view. I honestly could not beleive that actually went in and judging by the look on Valdes face I dont think he could either.

Meh, it's Valdes. He makes some great saves but also has more than his fair share of howlers.

10 minutes left and Barça look the more likely to get a winner. Abondanzieri made a great save, tipping a Pique header onto the bar.

eZe^ · 23-11-2008 7:57pm

1-1 fulltime. Disappointing..

Interesting stat said by one of the commentators though, when Messi plays for Barca they average a goal every 25 minutes, but when he's absent they average a goal every 71 minutes. Today they played without Messi, and guess then they scored? The 71st minute. :pac:

An Citeog · 23-11-2008 8:00pm

1-1 FT.

Barça go 3 points clear at the top of La Liga. On the balance of play, Barça were the better team but they just didn't create enough. Way too predictable and kept trying to pass the ball through the centre of the Getafe defence. It was only when they got the ball out wide and in behind the full backs to Alves that they looked threatening. Eto'o had a poor game aswell, which didn't help matters.

A big month coming up for the top teams and this could have a huge bearing on who wins La Liga. Barça start with a trip to Sevilla next week, then they host Valencia and Madrid at the Camp Nou and finish off with a trip to Villarreal before the winter break. I can't wait!:)

eZe^ · 23-11-2008 8:03pm

It's **** that so many good games will all be on at the same time, meaning you may have to choose between games like Sevilla vs Madrid and Barca vs Valencia.

redout · 23-11-2008 8:16pm

How do we choose brother. Sky only show one at a time unless you use the internet. Check out http://www.myp2p.eu/ for the games online they usually have all la liga matches. Well I am off to watch Deportivo v Athletico Bilbao.

Hasta Luego

Barca oldboy Ronaldinho just scored a beaut of a free-kick for AC MIlan if anyone is interested.

redout · 23-11-2008 8:24pm

1 - 0 Deportivo (Ze Castro)

Hardluck for the keeper there he done well to keep out the initial effort just unfortunate he was behind the line for the follow up.

redout · 23-11-2008 8:29pm

Great penalty save then down the other end a one on one miss and another. Breathtaking stuff, best match of the weekend.

gimmick · 23-11-2008 9:38pm

Tonights game proved Barca are human afterall. To be fair, the steamroll had to stop at some stage. Shame as those extra 2 points would have been very handy given the upcoming fixtures.

Whats wrong with Bojan this season? He isn't looking in the least bit sharp. Looks quite sluggish and disinterested in fact.

redout · 23-11-2008 9:55pm

Deportivo 3 - 1 Athletic Bilbao

Good game, very entertaining stuff. The best of the weekend.

HalloweenJack · 23-11-2008 10:07pm

Absolutely cracking match there. Athletic can feel hard done by (esp. with Llorente's chance) but then again Irazoz coulda/shoulda been sent off. Great end to a great match.

Missed the first half of Barca Getafe. Must admit I'm happy that Barca were stopped in their tracks. They got pretty lucky with Valdés' slip but they definitely deserved a point, at least.

24-11-2008 9:32am

Well it had to end at some stage. Had a feelin about that game all week, when I saw Messi wasn't playing I felt this would be the game where the run ended. To be fair, its a draw not a defeat and at the end of the day we're still 3 points clear so stick to the positives. Barca really need to learn how to play without Messi though. I felt that the cutting edge just wasn't really there.

redout · 24-11-2008 12:16pm

Why was Henry on the bench. Was he carrying a slight injury from the internationals ? In all fairness it was not just Messi who was missing I counted Marquez, Iniesta, Milito, Abidal and of course Henry who came on for the last 30mins so by no means a full strength side out on the pitch.

gimmick · 24-11-2008 12:43pm

Guardiola believes in rotating. That is one of the reasons Henry started on the bench. Another might be he has not played at all well this season..

Re your point about not a full strength side. Barca have a very big squad, so should eb able to cope with a few missing from time to time. Thats no excuse for last nights performance.

redout · 24-11-2008 12:48pm

gimmick wrote: »

Guardiola believes in rotating. That is one of the reasons Henry started on the bench. Another might be he has not played at all well this season..

Re your point about not a full strength side. Barca have a very big squad, so should eb able to cope with a few missing from time to time. Thats no excuse for last nights performance.

They do have a big squad but do not possess the quality on the bench to replace all them half a dozen players I named so fair point to say they were not at full strength. Messi, Henry, Marquez and Iniesta I dont think can be replaced with what is available on the bench.

gimmick · 24-11-2008 12:50pm

Agreed re Messi and Iniesta, but I think Marquez is a disaster and Henry is not delivering at the moment. That said, neither is Bojan.

HalloweenJack · 24-11-2008 12:57pm

gimmick wrote: »

That said, neither is Bojan.

I burst out laughing when he missed that open net. Lucky for him, the whistle had already gone.

In fairness to him though, he's only 18. Not everyone's like Messi.

redout · 24-11-2008 1:05pm

Last season the press, supporters all criticised Henry yet he did finish Barca's top scorer with 20 in all comps. His performances were not Arsenal standard but I really dont beleive he will ever reproduce them playing in this Barca team. He is confined the left wing for the most part like at Juve and it just does not suit him and shocker it did not work at Juve neither. I think Guardiola bull****ted him in the summer when he supposedly told him he would change his position. The guy has stated publicly he does not like that role and I really feel that his services are not used in the way to show his full potential.

redout · 25-11-2008 1:47am

Just caught this on Sky Sports
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11827_4543026,00.html

Barca eyes still on McCarthy

Interest still strong in Accies starlet

Last updated: 24th November 2008

Barcelona are still very much in the frame to land Hamilton starlet James McCarthy, his agent has revealed.

The 18-year-old has long been heralded as a future star after making his Academicals debut at just 15.

He spent time at Liverpool in 2007, while Arsenal, Manchester United and a host of clubs from the continent are all regularly checking on him, including Barca.

McCarthy's agent George Gray confirmed that the Catalan giants remain actively interested in the gifted midfielder.

"Barcelona have asked me to keep them informed about James," Gray told The Scottish Sun.

"They are just one of a few Spanish sides who have been in touch. In fact, the number of teams who have contacted me about him is unbelievable.

"There are a number of English clubs keeping tabs on his progress too.

"But he is enjoying playing in the SPL for Hamilton. This is his first year playing against the likes of Celtic and Rangers and his performances have been impressive.

"James is a wonderful talent. He has everything in his locker and he is as good as anyone around his age. Remember, he has just turned 18.

"I know what Chelsea have in that age group and he is as good as anything at Stamford Bridge.

"I would imagine when he signs for a bigger club, and shares a training ground with world-class acts every day, he will take his own game to a different level.

"That will be the same when he breaks into the Republic of Ireland squad.

"He will play for them in the future - there's no doubt about it."

Imagine this actually happened, an Irish International playing for the mighty Barca. I can't recall there ever being an Irish player at the Nou Camp but stand to be corrected. Dubliner Patrick O'Connell did manage Barcelona during the civil war. Have to admit this sure would be exciting if it bear fruition. Imagine the interest it would spark in Ireland, we would see Barca shirts flying off of the shelf's and alot more watching the games.

La Liga Week 12

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