Champions League Preview: Barça - Basle

wait what? there is practice in the morning with a game at night? He is gonna rest players for sure now.

@shahenshah

yeah he did that before i think training on the day of a match when henry was droped that match the last minute i think , i am not sure,

but anyway when is milito coming back anyone have a date i think he is the perfect puyol partner

any way my prediction 8- 0 to barca

i'd like to see

Henry Bojan Messi
Hleb Busquets Yaya Iniesta
Sylvinho Puyol Pique Caceres

Look for a few of the lads to get rest...including, Xavi, Messi, Iniesta - maybe even Puyol.

I'd be happy to get just a 1-0 win, so long as we give some time off to the guys who need it. Our deep squad should be able to handle basle no matter what..give some time to Pedro & Busquets.

Valdés; Alves, Pique, Caceres, Sylvinho; Gudjohnsen, Sanchez, Iniesta; Hleb, Bojan, Henry.

Prediction: Barca 2-0 Basle

I think with the heavy La Liga schedule and big games coming up, a complete B-team should play but thats probably not going to happen. Boja-Henry up front with Hleb wide-left and Iniesta just behind should be interesting. Xavi and Messi and Eto to be rested and starts for V.Sanchez and Guddy maybe in order. I predict a drab match due to the number of likely changes and expect Barca to win but not in any great style which at the moment suits me fine.

Anyone from here attending the game?

Would love to attend..sadly I'm in Australia..so that wont be happening soon

@Lorenzinho

Why did u leave Alves out????

predicting a 3-0 win. with alves to score!

FCB_Darren...mate, as good as the nou camp would be...you got summer here down under! enjoy it!

go barca

i reckon this is the perfect match to give hleb 90 full minutes and henry as well. there is no need to play a full strength side at all.

@ Lorenzinho

dude, i'd really like it if they let us field 12 players, too. or do you mean no keeper? that would be bold...

@Caleb

Good point but with all respect to Basel fans and players i honestly do not beleive that we need a keeper......

i think the lign up should be...

Pedro eto'o Messi
Hleb Basquets sanchez
Sylvinho Pique Caceres Alves
Pinto

This is off-topic but does anyone have a comment on Karim Benzema's recent comment that ," Next year I will go to Barçelona or Madrid ." Notice he mentioned Barça first !! If he comes to Barça, would Eto'o be heading to Lyon as part of a swap deal ? If so, is it a good deal for Barça ? Keeping both Eto'o and Benzema on the same roaster could be financially prohibitive.

Pep should put Puyol on top! he had a shot at goal against Malaga and it was from outside the box!
not sure if Pep will listen to me, but Puyol on top or not, we will win this game:
4-0

karim benzema is a very interesting topic and im glad someone brought it up. basically i dont understand why people are interested at all in this signing. its going to be a huge financial cost and did people learn NOTHING off the henry saga?? you CANNOT have another central striker in a barcelona team with etoo. neither etoo or benzema can be pushed onto the wing effectively, nor should they even be asked to. seriously benzema would be an extremely poorly thoughout transfer that will only cause troubles, just like the henry transfer has. barca need to make a decision, do they want a future with etoo or not? there is no place for him and another big time central forward.

Nic, Scott Chipperfield is nursing an injury and will therefore play no part tonight.

Alves and Toure are Rested for the game... Guddie and Pedro are both included in the squad.

I would like to see Hleb and Pedro on the wings, Bojan in the centre, Busquets, Sanchez and Iniesta in the middle. While a defence containing Caceras, Sylvinho, Marques and Pique

Rest eto'o, Xavi, Messi, Puyol

Barca 2- 0

barca5-0basle

toure and alves are supposedly rested for this game

My prediction: Barça 6 Basle 0

----------------Valdes---------------
------------Puyol--Marquez--------
-Pique----------------------Caceres-
----------------Busquets--------------
-----------Xavi-----------Hleb-------
------Pedro--------------Henry------
------------------Bojan-----------------

It's true, Alves and Toure rested. Full squad as follows:

Valdés, Pinto, Puyol, Piqué, Marquez, Caceres, Sylvinho, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Gudjohnsen, Victor Sanchez, Hleb, Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Bojan, Pedro

i see some fans are getting a bit too confident..
relax ..its not even half a season..

why the need of benzema when there is bojan? Develop that fool into a goal-scoring phenom. I believe pep is not taking any chances with bojan and only using him as a centre forward instead of a winger. That way the kid grows as a centre forward. His finishing needs a bit of improvement but there is alot of potential.

0-0 half time

@ blaugranaboy

Very good my friend. Signing Benzema for the sake of it is pointless and would only piss off Eto and make one of them useless. Henry still has a 1 in 2 goal record for France since joining Barca yet its 1 in 3 for Barca as he is wasted on the wing and the team plays not his strengths. Henry is much like Benzema. They play direct, running at the ball not with their back to goal. Barca do not need another striker at the minute and buying Benzema would just be stupid even if Madrid do get him. Not one team can buy everyone, they make a choice and stick with it. Eto plays fine, he is integral to the system and is the spearhead of the attack.

Right now, half time Barca 0-0 Balse. I think we will win but the amount of changes will mean it is and will be a poor game in terms of style but hey a win is a win assuming Barca can score.

BARCA 1-1 BASEL

8 minutes left

BARCA 1-1 BASEL FULL TIME UN BLUDDY BELEIVABLE

I still stand by my statement that Barca's defence is still not quite right.

1-1 for absolutely no reason. I knew the attack would be poor and disjointed and everyone has to realise that. Everyone was bad really even Messi, he scored then dissapeared.The attacks decision making especially from Henry and Eto late on to pass after good dribbles was especially annoying. However, the blame lies with the defence. The defence was out-numbering the Basle attack, Puyols positioning was poor and the flukey strike left Valdes with little chance in all fairness. I tell you Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea or even Madrid will not hesitate to take chances like today's one and lets hope Pep continues the hard work with the defence and it was a blip today

Its not a bad result but an unecessary halt in momentum. Hopefully Iniesta's injury will be nothing but I have a feeling he will not be risked in the next couple games as he is our only left-wing option.

Why is 1-1 unbeleivable Barca-Rotterdam?

Basle are a professional football team who won their own league. They took their chance and full credit to them. It serves a good lesson to Barca. Well done to Basel!

I agree with Titi, well done to Basle. Its not that bad a result, we had to know that the motivation for this game would have been low after the performance 2 weeks ago. The defenders really gave it away this time though, very dissapointing! We have now qualified for the next stage and we have a point on Sporting. We should really finish the group top, so we can concentrate on the league and that all important run in October. I think this will also act as a reminder to the players that they cannot rest on their laurels in ANY game. I also dont think Pep is going to let them forget this result because we REALLY should have won this game.

I have to hand it to Basle though, they played very well today. They never lost their shape at the back, their keeper was strong and commanding in the box and they worked much harder than we did.

I am not too worried about this showing. Its a shame, but thats all (I hope!)

i was enjoying that winning run. now we can call it underfeateted...but consecutive wins sounded so much better!

Titi186:
RU Talking to me ? I did NOT post the "Unbelievable " remark.

On Benzema:
I think MOST Barça fans would welcome the addition of a quality young player like Benzema. There is NO comparison between him and Henry, whose signing and that of Abidal was a STUPID MISTAKE !!

henry definitely does not play similarly like benzema, if so u can say benzema is almost finished. But I don't tink we can hav benzema now there's just no space so unles he can wait like 2 yrs, then he n bojan can lead our future r smethin