Copa Del Rey Preview: Barça-Valencia

----------------------------------Valdés------------------------------
----------------------------Puyol-----Milito--------------------------
-----Zambrotta------------------------------------------Abidal------
--------------------------------Toure---------------------------------
--------------------------Xavi----------Deco--------------------------
------Messi------------------------------------------Henry-----------
--------------------------------Eto'o----------------------------------

Barca 2-0 Valencia. Both teams has a solid defences, but Barcas offensive line will do their thing.

Visca el Barca

Ronnie won't play? Why? I say Barca 2-1 Valencia. They will be motivated at Camp Nou.

Rijkaard said that he had left out Ronaldinho because "we have a lot of matches in front of us and we should let him rest".
I think that now that the 'fantastic four' are all fit we will see plenty of rotations with them - Eto'o out against Celtic, Henry against Levante, Ronnie against Valencia ... does this mean Messi will be rested for Saturday's game at Atletico Madrid?

4-1

Barçelona 3-0 valencia it will be good to see eto'o and henry combine well,

I think Messi might be rested against Celtic rather then against Atletico, Nic. The problem with the four is that you can't do real rotations cause Messi is the only one who can play (at top level) at the right and Ronaldinho the same on the left. Eto'o and Henry are best up front, they can play at the right or the left but there they lose a lot of what makes them a "fantastico".

4-0. Yes, 4-0. :D

Good point pep we don't have a top replacement for messi's position let's hope we patch that up in tha summer, if messi is injured,DISASTER.

Again Henry on the left doesnt give me confidence....

2-1 to Barca, (I won't be able to watch the game as Copa Del Rey games are not broadcast in S.A.)

3-0 Barca.

The comment of 'pep' above is absolutelt spot on.

"I think Messi might be rested against Celtic rather then against Atletico, Nic. The problem with the four is that you can’t do real rotations cause Messi is the only one who can play (at top level) at the right and Ronaldinho the same on the left. Eto’o and Henry are best up front, they can play at the right or the left but there they lose a lot of what makes them a “fantastico”"


This is a weird situation. Do you play 4-3-3 and when R10 is on top form you have to leave out either TH14 or E9 on the centre forward position, or do you play 4-4-2 and play both Henry and Eto'o up front but then sacrifice the the wing play of Ronnie and Messi and convert them to plain midfeilders?

If it was me I would trial the 4-4-2 because from what very little I have seen of Henry and Eto'o together they seem to be very compatible and against Celtic they had some very nice interchanges which will enevitably lead to a more effective attack especially against teams who are good at defending.

What do you think Nic (and everyone else :) )?

Oh and I predict 2-0 just for the record!

Titi186- I would rather play 4-3-3 because Ronnie and Messi combine great with each other up front and they can do some damage by themselves. They can also provide Henry or Eto'o with some nice passes. If Barca plays 4-4-2 than it's less entertaining to watch because Henry doesn't have much dribbling abilities.

Nic- in what position does Dunga play Ronaldinho? I like the way he plays for Brasil very much.

@ Taras - Well Brazil play a 4-2-2-2 of sorts, with Ronaldinho and Kaka playing as CAM's behind the two strikers, which is his natural position and where he excels the most.

Thanks mcv. He played good for Brasil in last matches and I think that he's facing criticism not because his bad shape, it's because Rijkaard doesn't use him the wright way.

Sorry to break it to you guys but I think that we will never see the fantastic 4 all together upfront.

Youssef Gazia- we have a small chance to see all of the fantastic four up front . If Barca plays a team like Levante or if we play a match which means nothing than Rijkaard can play 4-2-4 with Ronnie, Eto'o, Henry and Messi up front.

Fair point Taras I agree with you that Henry has the least dribbling ability out of the fantastic four (but still has enough lol!).

I also agree with you that 4-3-3 is more entertaining as especially with Ronnia and Messi beating people 1-on-1 the skills are on show and everyone is laughing.

BUT would you want a 4-3-3 if it was more exciting but yeilded less wins? I dont think so. I just think that with Messi and Ronnie aswell has Deco, Iniesta, Xavi etc feeding BOTH Henry and Eto'o, Barca with score huge amounts of goals.

Im the first one to admit that Henry has not been the most exciting player at Barca but he has been the second most effective. He is only 1 goal behind Messi and with all his rave reviews this season, Henry being so close to him in terms of goals says alot about his true scoring abilities.

Luckyily for me and you, we dont have to make these decisions :)

Forca Barca!!

Youssef is right I think, the four will not play together. I am happy with 4-3-3 as long as Eto'o is playing, it doesn't work so well without his pressurizing work. I would not play 4-4-2 with Ronnie and Messi in midfield because it would effectively be a 4-2-4 which would be suicide in the modern game.
Basically I think it has to be 4-3-3 with Messi-Eto'o and either Ronaldinho or Henry or Iniesta on the left.

Forca Barca, Titi186!!! But Rijkaard can also use two different formations in first and second halfs. He can use 4-4-2 in the first half to score some goals, and use 4-3-3 in the second to put in Barca's brand good show! And of course we can also score goals with 4-3-3! But it all depends on how the game goes! :)

Team just announced: as I predicted 8)

-----------------------Valdés--------------------
Zambrotta--- Puyol---- Milito------ Abidal
------Xavi--------- Toure-------Deco--------
--Messi-------------Eto'o------------ Henry--

My prediction: Barça 2 -València 0.

The first moment will be a minut for nostalgia. I remember now Koeman and Bakero and our success in 1992. But we are young!
Information for foreigners: there is a special rivalry between Barcelona and Valencia, but in a great part of Valencia they speak catalan language. They are the two most important cities in the historic country "Páïsos catalans".

any updates on the game? I don't have access to it.
Eurosport.com has it at 0-1 ??