This is going to be the shortest preview ever, given that there’s less than 2 hours until the match starts and, hey – did you hear that, yesterday, Espanyol early gifted Barça the Liga, and Iniesta a birthday present?
The latter, as reader Vj commented on Twitter, was made more poignant by the fact that the Espanyol goal was scored in the 21st minute which is always celebrated by the Pericos fans in memory of their beloved late captain, Dani Jarque, who was also Iniesta’s good friend.
That last sentence was long and I’m not going to fix it. I’m going to blame it on the sublime bottle of white Priorat and the other bottle of Juvé & Camps cava that were imbibed over lunch with our gorgeous Catalan neighbours, who took us out for a belated Anniversary lunch, as well as to celebrate the Liga win. The food? Equally sublime. Seafood paella, bacalao, chipirones and delicious postres. I’m fit to burst. At least I’m still awake. Someone else went to bed to sleep it off.
Anyway – there’s a match. In Madrid. Supposedly Falcao isn’t playing because Simeone is resting him for the CdR match on Friday. Quite rightly too, as this game is a bit of a non-event in terms of affecting any results. Atléti sits in 3rd place on the Liga table, 9 points adrift of Real Madrid. With only 2 games left to play (both Madrid teams played mid-week games last week so they have played one more game than most of the teams), Atléti can’t catch up to Madrid, and they are in a very comfortable 3rd place with Valencia and Depor currently battling for 4th some 10 points behind.
So who gets to play?
Maybe a whole lotta players who haven’t had a lot of game time over the season. Or maybe Tito is still serious about getting that 100 points for the season. To do that, they need to win the remaining 4 games.
Tito’s taken the whole team to Madrid because they have something to celebrate and it wouldn’t be fair if anyone missed out on the festivities.
VV and Abidal miss the game through injury and join JDS in the stands. Or perhaps he’ll actually get a run out.
Part of me wants the win tonight just to prove that we didn’t need any help to achieve it this weekend. Another part of me just couldn’t care less.
Anyway, sit back, relax and just enjoy the Liga victory.
This team has been through so much again this season and some silverware is the bonus.
Thank you for everything, team. Well, maybe not for the grey hairs.
Thank you to Tito and Roura and all the team management.
Thank you to Abidal and Tito for still being with us.
Thanks for another year of memories.
¡Visca Barça! ¡Visca Catalunya!
The game kicks off at 19:00 CET – that’s soon.
Click here to convert the match time to your timezone: Atlético Madrid vs. FC Barcelona
Streams for the match are usually found on First Row, Roja Directa and Bar TV.
Starting XI: Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Adriano, Alba, Song, Iniesta, Cesc, Alexis, Messi and Tello.
Thanks for the quickie.
Where were you for the past 2-3 weeks?
In New Zealand on holiday. 🙂
Is Montoya that poor until Tito can’t rest Alves one bit after playing 10 matches straight?!
Is Bartra that poor until we have to keep playing Adriano there? The weirdest part is that in the 2nd leg vs Bayern, Bartra got the nod over Adriano so way not in La Liga?
Is Montoya that poor until Tito can’t rest Alves one bit after playing 10 matches straight?!
For what it’s worth, Dani Alves has played 26 (that’s twenty-six) consecutive matches, counting Liga, CL, Copa and NT friendlies.
The last time he didn’t play in a match he could have played in was against Malaga back on January 16.
Note also that he played every single minute of 24 of those 26 matches. The exceptions were when he came in for the injured Adriano on two separate occasions.
He played 45 minutes on one of those occasions, and 70 minutes on the other. If I consider the latter appearance as a start, then Dani has in fact started the last 20 matches he could have played in, 18 of them for Barca.
Maybe not a big deal if your name is Messi — who’s been a slacker by comparison — but otherwise? Wow.
Great info! Cheers!
No surprise then that he was just subbed off injured, right?
I’m not sure if his injury had anything to do with him playing so many minutes but in any case Tito should have rested him and unleashed Montoya.
Cesc has been oh so mediocre. I reckon Thiago or JDS would do better in that position
Comon Messi, move!
He’s lost a little passion for the game it seems, regardless of coaching instruction this is not the messi we know.
Maybe that injury is still taking a toll.
While Messi was warming up, he tweaked his left hamstring. On Barca TV we watched him rubbing it vigorously. He continued to warm up but wasn’t moving freely.
And yet he is playing while we have Villa on the bench who could impress the Athletico bosses and increase his value.
That said, Messi looks perfectly fine though.
Thats what I dont understand, sub him off if hes not fit to press and atleast get involved.
Hopefully a break in the summer can get reignite his passion for the game, which I’m sure is buried under mental and physical fatigue..
aaand we finally broke alves…
I must say though Adrianos bee great at CB
Seems it’s the motto to play someone till their injured at Barca 🙁
Why Montoya is not playing? Surely he’s training well.
My theory is that Tito wanted the key players to receive the pasillo and the accolades, so he sent as many out as he could.
David Villa has the sadz. 🙁
But it is not just today that this has been happening. Alves has been playing for quite a number of matches non stop as replayed laid it out above.
Eh
Nice friendly…
Also, time to consider a move away from the false 9 especially in bigger games? The top teams have all found ways to comfortably deal with it. Its no longer this mysterious thing that makes CBs uncomfortable because they have no one to mark.
Serious WTF! The way forward is to groom and play youngsters like Bartra and Montoya instead of running Alves to the ground and playing Adriano who is a liability (injury wise).
Tito Tito…..
Falcao happened. What in the blue hell….
Cesc and Alexis again. Finally something to smile about.
Don’t you guys notice that Messi left the pitch? And we’re playing with 10 men… How come there’s no reaction at all here?
I didnt even notice, someone has to step in and stop messi from playing when hes not fit. The man needs a mental and physical break from footy. He’ll comeback with that fire next season, no doubt.
And that’s why we decided to keep Alexis. Gooaalll. And messi injured.
Can’t say I’ll miss the tequila sunrise strips.
What an amazing come back!! With 2 CB’s and with only 10 men.
once again, our defense was very poor.
once again, Cesc Fabregas was anonymous.
once again, Tito’s selection left something to be desired.
once again, we were bailed out; only this time by luck rather than by a once-again-injured Messi.
this season has gotten pretty predictable.
So, no Messi till the end of the season.
Hope he rests properly until August.
Adriano injured again??!! He played well, but you can’t be a backup if you’re not available to play. Who thinks we can count on him to stay healthy next year?
two things:
-player management has been horrible this season. why does alves need to break the world record for most consecutive games as a starter? is montoya that horrible? it seems the only chance we have to see thiago is when xavi, iniesta and fabregas are in the ER room
-tello deserves a first team place next season
People. This team has won the Liga championship that it lost to its most bitter rival last season. Along the way, it dealt with cancer, injuries on a biblical scale and lord knows what else. It set records, and brought beauty. Can’t we, just for a day, stop crapping on players and coaches and just celebrate what these players have done?
^THIS
Not to mention Barça managed to be #1 every single week this season. Every single week! Who DOES that?!
(Hi, everyone, longtime reader Catherine here, haven’t really commented until today but I was so excited over the championship I felt like popping in to throw in an amen here. So, uh, yeah, hi, and amen.)
A hearty welcome, Catherine. I’ll have a scoop of celebratory gelato for you.
I’m happy yeah! Another la liga to us, what’s not to like. Now that Mourinho will leave Real Madrid I can enjoy the rivalry next season again.
I know! I cant wait to get back to a normal sporting rivalry instead of the pure animosity that mou created
Mourinho said last year that it would be sweet if RM win the league without beating Barca. He was right, feels good man.
That kid who came on for Athletico looked very good. Very assured.
Oliver Torres? This kid is a real gem, I saw him live in U19 this summer when they won the European Cup. I think he is just 18, but already has all the qualities for a midfield maestro.
Yup. I remembered that his name is a famous one but just can’t remember the other. Thanks.
He literally controlled Athletico’s midfield. It’s very rare to see a young player so confident. I would love to see more of him. Hopefully he will get some minutes vs Madrid.
Sorry offtopic – I am not making any fun at RM. But this is very funny.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/fabio-coentrao-had-no-idea-where-supposed-during-211927230.html
Had to travel overnight,for wife, and missed the match. Could anybody tell me, how was Song yday, please…
FC Barcelona will livestream the Victory Parade which starts at 18:30 CET tonight.
I think that TV3 (tv3.cat) will also do the same, but so far it isn’t listed as being shown on their website.
If it is, it will be here: http://www.tv3.cat/3alacarta/#/directes/TV3
or here:
http://www.tv3.cat/3alacarta/#/directes/esport3
Titi Henry overhead kick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XFLUY-vW6IY
De Rossi’s pathetic dive. Really shameful for a veteran like him to resort to this. Totti is another one. Elbowing an ex team mate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOzdi6T0qxc
Review’s up, y’all!
Congratulation Barca…
Champion…Champion…Champion..
http://adupenalti.com