Preview: Barça - Mallorca
Friday, 06 November 09, 12:51 PM · Comments (8)
It's back to La Liga and back to Camp Nou tomorrow where we play hosts to fifth placed Mallorca (kick off 8pm). After two disappointing draws away from home we will certainly be hoping to win this one. For the first time this season Pep Guardiola has all 20 first team players (bar Gabi Milito) available for the game. Guardiola said today that "in many aspects we are a better team this season". While I would agree that Ibrahimovic offers us new options and Seydou Keita has been a much improved player, unfortunately there are other parts of the team that are not performing so well. Let's hope that tomorrow the team show us what they are capable of by knocking in a few goals.
Mallorca will not be easy as they proved last season in the four matches between the two sides. In the corresponding league game we had to come from behind to win a bad tempered game 3-1 (Click here for this blog's report on that game). We won the Copa del Rey semi final tie to a large extent thanks to Pinto's penalty save, and then we lost 2-1 in Mallorca at the end of the season when La Liga was already won. Mallorca are flying high this season but 15 of their 17 points so far have been won at home and they are yet to win a game on there travels. The danger from Mallorca could come from left winger Gonzalo Castro, while if he plays it will be interesting to get a look at their young right back Felipe Mattioni whose excellent debut in last week's 1-0 win over Racing earned him comparisons with Dani Alves.
We need to win this match if we are to guarantee top spot going into the next international break. Real Madrid are just a point behind and it seems like they always win their derby match away to Atletico. We are due a few goals but to get them we need an improvement in play from the likes of Leo Messi and Andres Iniesta. Thierry Henry should get a bit more than the eight minutes he played on Wednesday but he may still begin on the bench. Guardiola will have to see if anyone is showing signs of fatigue after the long journey to Kazan but if they are all ok I imagine he will start with the same team. Our next game after this is on Tuesday against Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey so it seems pointless to rest anyone tomorrow.
In 24 league encounters between the teams in Barcelona, Barça have won 15, there have been 6 draws, while Mallorca have won 3.
Possible starting XI: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Abidal; Xavi, Toure, Keita; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Iniesta.
My prediction: Barça 3 Mallorca 0
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8 Comments · Add yours
if we dont win tonight im gonna have a shit fit. i dont want us to keep drawing and then have the team coming out in the press saying its all honkey dorey. this team steam rolled nearly everyone last year, and according so some especially Pep, we should be a better team with our new additions. so lets show it. i thought zlatan came to break down this park the bus shit, so id like to see dividends on that strategy and see him actually doing so. frankly it hasnt all been his fault, against rubin he often took the ball down nicely and had no one to support. tonight is about a W, no ifs, ands, or buts
It's fair to say that some parts of the team aren't playing that well. As Nic has pointed out the real place where were hurting is in our best three players of last season. Iniesta isn't back to his best yet and Messi isn't scoring his wonder goals (let's remember there were quite a number of games last year that were were not steamrolling teams at all and Messi would score a much needed goal or two at the end of the game). And the ever consistent Xavi has hit a patch of inconsistency.
Beyond this, I think it is entirely fair to say we've simply been unlucky. The goals will start coming. Let's hope it's tonight.
Barca 4 Mallorca 1
This "we dominated the match but just couldn't score" syndrome coupled with a not-the-best away form over the past couple of weeks is terrifyingly reminiscent of the 07-08 season. I hope we can get our act together in time for Mourinho's men.
My God, I have just realised that the match is today not tomorrow like I thought. I would have missed the first match in years. Had to completely adjust my weekend.
Close one.
And yeah, today we should win. Hopefully it will be tough for Madrid as well.
I think people over estimate us this season a bit.
We have lost a LOT of pace in the side, so the performances are going to suffer a lot in my opinion.
The thing is, in world football there is many people that can dribble like Messi, the is many who can shoot like Messi, there is many that do skills like Messi... the thing that seperates them from Messi is that he can do that AT PACE.
The game Barca plays is more patient and slower.
No longer can Xavi hit a 40-yard pass behind the defense and see Eto leaving DC's for dead. Xavi and the rest of the midfeilders have to drop deeper and work the ball slowly up the pitch now, so of course the performances cannot be as electric and fast paced as before.
To be honest, as long as we win Im not too bothered especially if we can manage to get to keep top spot untill the New Year break.
I hope tonight we have some more urgency about our play and Messi turns on the style as lets face it he wasnt very good against Rubin Kazan and Ive said it a MILLION TIMES, INIESTA IS NOT AS GOOD ON THE WING. I'd rather Keita there and Iniesta in midfeild to help Xavi.
Prediciton: Barca win 3-0
We talked about our best players being off form, well today Messi, Xavi and Iniesta all relegated to the bench!!!
the team is as follows:
Valdés; Puyol, Piqué, Chygrynskiy, Abidal; Toure, Busquets, Keita; Pedro, Ibrahimovic, Henry.
I guess they must all be tired, let's see what this experiment brings us
Funny game.
Bit sloppy at back.
Pique had an off day.
Glad Henry scored.
Pedro's growing on me.
Keita played great.
Ibra was MAGICAL.
That's all folks.