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Barcelona vs Valencia Preview
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Pep Guardiola’s creativity will be put to the test as his list of absentees has expanded. Sergio Busquets is a doubt due to a knee injury and Pedro could also start on the bench or remain sidelined.
There are absolutely no chances of playing for Ibrahim Afellay, Andreu Fontas, Andres Iniesta and David Villa. Seydou Keita is also out for good, as he is currently on duty with the Malian national team in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Valencia, the presences of Hedwiges Maduro and Sergio Canales have been ruled out, but Bruno could add his contribution to his team’s efforts at the Camp Nou. Players who are set to return to action after a rest during the weekend are Xavi Hernandez, Gerard Pique, Alexis Sanchez, Ever Banega and Jonas.
Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Preview
Unlike their opponents, Barcelona’s recent Liga record isn’t negative at all. Having won four of their last games and lost none, they could feel confident to beat the twelfth-placed side. Three consecutive draws though lately, emphasized by a 7-point gap in the league standings, makes their situation somewhat stressful.Real Sociedad have only won two of their last six games, having drawn thrice and lost once. The sit four points above the relegation zone, and thus, a defeat against the Catalans could be cruelly costly.
Barcelona have appeared to make the best passes this season in La Liga; they presently average an 89.1% rate for passing accuracy, and 70% for ball possession. But, Sociedad are not too far behind. Although they can only manage 45.8% for ball possession at the moment, their passing has been acceptable at 74.9%.
Valencia vs Barcelona Report
Lionel Messi nearly scored the opener on 16 minutes when he escaped a series of challenges to fire a shot, but his last effort was blocked. It was just a minute after that controversy again took its place in the game; an angry home crowd would have loved to see Pinto get sent off for handling the ball outside the box, but the referee kept his cards.A ping pong game didn’t lack of potential and excitement, but Valencia were the first to get favoured. With the help of Mathieu, an unmarked Jonas confidently put the hosts in front.
But the visitors never stopped trying to get back into the game. They were rewarded for their efforts before half-time, and Carles Puyol was the man to praise as he headed home from a corner to level the game.
Why Barcelona should fear potential 2012 Copa del Rey finalists Valencia
One of the major problems at Barca presently is that Pep Guardiola is facing severe squad setbacks. As if it wasn’t enough to lose David Villa to a long-term injury, the manager will have to deal with the absence of Pedro Rodgriguez, Andreu Fontas, Ibrahim Affelay and key man Andres Iniesta. As Barcelona’s injury list grows, it looks like their chances of ending the year successfully on the domestic front are decreasing. For now, let’s not talk about the Catalans’ situation in La Liga where they've lost 13 points in 10 matches away from home. In the Copa del Rey, Barcelona could find immense comfort; that is, if Valencia don’t put an end to their hunt.
“We are not getting the balance of last year,” Dani Alves admitted following his side’s disappointing goalless draw away to Villarreal last weekend. One of the many questions is whether Barca can overcome the away ground factor and punish Valencia for their poor passing game.
Valencia vs Barcelona Preview
Barcelona narrowly edged past Real Madrid in the quarter finals, using their 2-1 away victory to knock out their rivals 4-3 on aggregate. Conversely, Valencia enjoyed an easy qualification into the semis with a whopping 7-1 aggregate win over Levante.Coincidentally, neither Los Che nor Los Cules were able to grab triumphs at the weekend in La Liga. Valencia shared a point away to Racing Santander following a 2-2 draw, while Barca were restricted to a goalless draw against Villarreal.
Both sides sit comfortably in the Top 3 of La Liga, but their additional work in the Primera Division will have to be put on hold for the meantime. There seems to be some injury problems for Valencia coach Unai Emery, with Mehmet Topal and Ever Banega not likely to perform.
Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry takes its toll in 2011/12 La Liga race: No more rest for the Catalans
A 100% record in La Liga was probably not FC Barcelona’s aim at the start of the season; but in view of Real Madrid’s solidification, they are advised to go for perfection.Yes, Barcelona have been trying to give their fans the very best. Surely, never did they allow themselves to get carried away by complaisance; but in contrast, their results in La Liga have not always been positive.
Failing to accomplish missions or dropping points are things that can happen from time to time. Yet, mistakes seem to get massive exposure when they come at an unexpected moment.
How will Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey exit to Barcelona shape La Liga’s title race?
This Copa del Rey quarterfinal fiasco has left Real Madrid with a lot of positives to take. The second leg of the tie, especially, has opened a way for Los Blancos to follow. Defender Alvaro Arbeloa couldn’t explain this better. He was quoted as stating by Real Madrid’s official website:
“We've managed to get rid of our psychological anxiety and fear to lose against Barcelona. It's hard to be strengthened after being eliminated, but we realize we can defeat them and we're looking forward to our next meeting.”
Indeed, it seems like Jose Mourinho and his men have found the key to unlock Barcelona’s secrets. You cannot look at the 2-2 draw in Camp Nou and talk about humiliation for Madrid.
Villarreal vs Barcelona Preview
The Catalans beat Villarreal 5-0 much earlier this season, and it is once again with the intention of imposing themselves that Pep Guardiola’s army face the Yellow Submarines. Unfortunately for Barca though, midfielder Andres Iniesta is unavailable due to a tear in his left hamstring.The Spaniard will be out of action for approximately three weeks, but the club seems to have more formation problems with the absence of Sanchez, Villa, Fontas and Afellay. For the rest of the team though, excuses are needless: “We are FC Barcelona,” declared Fabregas during a meeting with the press after El Clasico.
“We have to give our best and push on. There are players in the B team who are doing really well.”
Barcelona vs Real Madrid Report
A couple of glorious opportunities fell to Higuain but the Argentine failed to take them. Barcelona finally punished Pipita and team mates through late first-half goals from Pedro and Dani Alves. At the break, it seemed like Real Madrid had suddenly lost all hopes of reaching the Copa del Rey semifinals.However, their approach in the second period showed the brave side of Los Blancos. Kaka and Higuain went off for Callejon and Benzema before Cristiano Ronaldo pulled a goal back in the 68th minute. Substitute Benzema did what Higuain couldn’t do as he leveled the match at 2-2.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid & 8 hot quotes that could put Messi & co on fire
Three-time footballer of the year Lionel Messi is being targeted in a way or another ahead of Wednesday’s huge Clasico a the Camp Nou. What effect will these pre-match quotes have on Messi and the rest of Barcelona’s invincible squad?
1) Karim Benzema to AS
According to Benzema, the mighty Catalans of Barcelona have a weakness. What is it?
“We have to be much more efficient when trying to score goals from set pieces because I think that is one of the parts of their game which is more fragile. In dog fights, they are not strong, we must seize the opportunity.”
Where to watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid on TV - Copa del Rey - January 25, 2012
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The footballing world will again be treated to another high-octane play-off between Leo Messi's FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid.
The first of the two quarter-final legs took place in Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 where FC Barcelona...
Barcelona vs Real Madrid Preview
What the public must remember is that a 1-0 victory won’t be enough for Real Madrid to progress into the semifinals of the Spanish cup. The competition’s titleholders have to turn the tables around as they carry the wounds of a 2-1 deficit.Barcelona are favorites to finish off Real Madrid. The Camp Nou stadium is where they lifted the 2011 Spanish Supercopa trophy last summer. It is also where they recorded a historic and humiliating 5-0 triumph over Real Madrid en route to the 2010/11 Spanish La Liga title.
The Catalans virtually have one foot in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. Many even think that Barca are already through to the next stage; they view the second leg on Wednesday night as nothing but a 90-minute period for Barcelona to make their semifinal qualification official.
Barcelona’s possession game: Statistical facts before El Clasico 2012
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Relying on dominance through possession
It is in fact their dominance in games that have given them the confidence to rise without limit among other titans in world football. Generally, teams that profit from higher possession have more chances of creating opportunities and controlling games at their will.
This is a verity Pep Guardiola based his tactics on, right from the start of his spell at the club; and it has surely helped him develop a commanding side out of the Blaugrana. With the addition of accuracy and boldness to his recipe, Barcelona’s style has turned into an enjoyable type that many other clubs attempt to replicate.
El Clasico 2012: Why Barcelona could attempt to play negative football for once
Negative football is what Jose Mourinho used against Barcelona at the Camp Nou during his time at Inter Milan. Although Pep Guardiola made reasonable efforts to exhibit his expertise in attacking football, he happened to be denied by the defensive walls of the former Chelsea manager.Upset with the technique used by the Special One, Los Cules heavily condemned the Milanese - indirectly vowing never to adopt this style. Despite the tensions around the issue of tactics however, Mourinho boldly went on to use his stabbing negative method again in a few other encounters he had with Barcelona later on. But never did he do so without receiving affronts from his anti-fans.
Well, inversely, negative football is what could save Barca on Wednesday night in El Clasico of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Yet probably, no Blaugrana would agree on this point - neither on first thought, nor on second thought.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid – Copa del Rey quarterfinal second leg: 5 things to predict
The latest Clasico produced a Cristiano Ronaldo goal, a comeback from Barcelona, a rare match winner from Eric Abidal and surprisingly, no red card. There actually should have been at least one sending off following Pepe’s stomp on Lionel Messi’s hand. However, controversy is most often the rule of the game when Barcelona and Real Madrid clash.
What will happen at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night? Will Barcelona suffer an upset despite holding a vital 2-1 advantage ahead of the second leg? Will Real Madrid exit the Copa del Rey in the quarterfinals as most expect?
Kick-off time for Barcelona vs Real Madrid is on Wednesday, January 25 at 16:00 EST and 21:00 GMT. Live streaming and TV schedule info for El Clasico can be found on the match page.
Málaga vs Barcelona Report
A decent start to the game saw both sides making dangerous attempts in the first 20 minutes. An in-form Messi was the first to change the scoreboard’s indication, when he took advantage of a good cross from Adriano to thump the ball into the left side of the net to snatch the opener.The hosts were unable to reply afterward, and so the match finished 1-0 at half time in favour of Pep Guardiola’s club. Only three minutes in the second period, the crowd at the stadium witnessed yet another goal, but again for the visitors.
Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez sent another message to Real Madrid ahead of the second-leg clash in the Copa del Rey, as he scored his team’s second of the day. Incomplete efforts from Thiago and Adriano gave the Chilean striker a chance to shoot on the rebound.
Málaga vs Barcelona Preview
Barcelona won their last league game at home to Real Betis 4-2 as they tried to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals. They hold the second place with 41 points after 18 games, following 12 wins, 5 draws and a single loss in the league so far.They have lost 11 points already away from home this season; thus, extra cautiousness will be needed to avoid a setback at La Rosaleda. Malaga haven’t been too impressive away from home either; two draws and six defeats have clearly stamped this fact.
They sit in 10th position with 25 points, but are only seven points above relegation. They might be looked upon as underdogs because of Barcelona’s capabilities, but one must not forget that Malaga will be profiting from the home advantage.
Pepe-Messi controversy: Rooney slams “idiot” Pepe as incident rocks the media
It is natural for the Portguese defender to have issues concerning his discipline on the pitch. At the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, he was involved in an ugly incident which apparently went unseen by the match’s officials.
Pepe was captured stamping on Lionel Messi’s hand. The Real Madrid defender escaped punishment but his behavior evidently drew reaction from El Clasico spectators. Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere instantly posted the following message on his Twitter account:
“Poor from Pepe!”
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney also wrote:
“Pepe. What an idiot. Sometimes people wind u up.”
Real Madrid vs Barcelona Report
REAL MADRID AND BARCELONA'S TEAM LINEUPJose Mourinho stunned the public with a risky 4-3-3 lineup which had Altintop at right-back and Pepe in midfield. Interestingly, Mourinho responded to the fans’ desire of starting with the Benzema-Higuain duo. Carvalho made a surprise comeback in Real Madrid’s first XI.
Attacking-minded midfielders Kaka and Mesut Özil started El Clasico from the bench. Callejon received a call-up while Angel di Maria didn’t make the cut based on fitness worries. Pepe was supposed to lead Real Madrid’s planned approach from the midfield. Instead, the Portuguese defender eventually destroyed his team’s chances of winning as Barcelona carried the day yet again.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Messi & Ronaldo’s impact, Mou’s respect & more in quotes
We bring you a preview of the pre-match preparations in quotes from the Catalans’ point of view. What do people think of Barcelona? What are they predicting concerning Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Psychologically, how do Pep Guardiola’s players regard the game?
1) Xavi – as quoted on Barcelona’s official website
The midfielder is naturally bold and hard to break in midfield. After experiencing so many unbelievable results against Real Madrid, Xavi’s desire to triumph still exists. The 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or nominee has promised to give Los Blancos a tough time in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.
“We'll play with our trademark style and philosophy, exciting, spectacular and looking for a goal – the more goals you score away from home, the better!”