Champions League Preview: Basle - Barça
Tuesday, 21 October 08, 01:10 PM · Comments (24)
With the return of Xavi and Martin Caceres, Pep Guardiola has taken 19 players to Switzerland for tomorrow night's Champions League game at St Jakob Park against Basle. Rafa Marquez and Toure Yaya have also been declared fit for the game after suffering knocks in Sunday's victory in Bilbao, but we are without the injured Seydou Keita who joins Pedro, Gudjohnsen and Gabi Milito on the injured list.
Basle are still without a point in Group C after losing to Shakhtar (1-2) and Sporting Lisbon (2-0) and will really need to take something from the game if they are going to stand any chance of qualifying for the next round. In the Swiss 1st Super League they sit second behind Zurich on goal difference. Twenty-year-old Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok is fit again and could partner last season's top scorer Marco Streller up front, while the danger from midfield will come from Serbian, Ivan Ergic. Another of the team's most important player's is Argentinian goalkeeper Franco Costanzo who is the team's captain. An interesting connection between the club's is that Joan Gamper played for Basle before moving to Barcelona and founding Football Club Barcelona in 1899. Also both teams play in the same colours.
With six points in the bag, it should be enough if we take four points from the two games with Basle, but considering the difference in quality between the two squads we should only really be happy with two wins, the sooner we sew up the group the sooner we can concentrate solely on La Liga. I expect Pep to go with a more experienced team for the game and of course Puyol, Xavi and Messi should all return to the starting lineup after being rested for the Atletic game.
Barça are hoping to extend a winning run to eight games, and while this sort of record means little at this stage of the season it is still a creditable achievement for a team under a new coach. In both Champions League games so far Guardiola has experimented with a 3-man defence with Puyol on the left and Dani Alves advancing to a midfield role, it worked all right against Sporting but nearly back-fired against Shakhtar. I'd rather see him stick with our conventional 4-3-3.
Barça's squad: Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Puyol, Marquez, Pique, Caceres, Abidal, Sylvinho, Toure, Victor Sanchez, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Hleb, Messi, Eto'o, Bojan, Henry.
Possible starting XI: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Abidal; Xavi, Toure, Iniesta; Messi, Eto'o, Henry.
My Prediction: Basle 0 Barça 2
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My starting lineup:
Pinto, Alves, Pique, Pujol, Caceres, Xavi, Toure, Iniesta, Messi, Eto'o, Hleb.
Subs: Bojan, Busquets .
My prediction: Barça 3-1 .
Madrid lost to a poor Juventus side. Madrid looked like an EPL club: endless long ball crap. No imagination at all. I can't believe this club won La Liga the last two seasons. If Barça stays healthy, they can beat these clowns. Just watch out for any contact with Madrid players anywhere near the penalty area: they go down easily. Disgraceful diving !!
Juventus were not poor. We had more ball possession and we were better in the second half. The difference was that their attack was effective. They had four clear chances, scored two goals thats it. We had none, we scored one.
Barca are in an easier group. They should win this match easily.
Good luck
nice fact that we stole their colours... we just wear 'em a lot better 
this should really be an easy game. a clean sheet should also be possible. as Nic, i have the feeling Pep will put on a starting-11 as strong as possible (but you really never know with our main man), and after the Bilbao-game, i feel we have to put on a show. so...
my prediction: 4-0 for Barca
realmadridtalk stop talking crap juve were poor the only thing poorer than them were those clowns in white, thats defending from a champions league dreaming team jiz, u guys are WHACK play badminton or lacross or something,
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My Prediction: Basle 0 Barça4
basle 0 - 3 barca
hope we get another clean sheet