The Crossfire: El Clásico – Part 2
In part I of El Clasico Crossfire we talked about legacy and rivalry between both the clubs. Now we delve into current issues and the game on Monday. Enjoy the second part!
totalBarça: The collective TV deal has finally gone through, how do you see it as a long term policy for both the league and the big two?
Buj: While it’s relatively good for the league, it is not good for Barca. Over time these revenues will be further revised and the truth is, I’m all for it. Barca, while it is still a hot subject on everyone’s lips, needs to be more aggressive marketing itself all over the world before that time comes. And no more of that Laporta’s era vigorous chasing of other club’s players, as it only breeds antagonism.
The onus though should be on LFP’s shoulders. They must promote the league vigorously by making it TV viewer friendly. They need to learn from EPL’s success in this. Playing at 22:00 hrs especially on a Sunday is bad for ratings. That’s like 04:00 or 05:00 hrs Monday morning for me here, and how can they compete with the EPL with scheduling like that?
KG: It is a landmark decision. I am for one totally in favour of this move. This should have been done a long time ago. If other leagues in the world are to be compared, La Liga is the most unevenly matched of all. It is accused of being a two team league and sadly this is true. This will not hugely impact the purchasing power of the big two as this is expected to result in a 50% jump in overall revenues as it will be negotiated on a collective basis. This is a step in the right direction to make the league more competitive. It will put a stop to wasteful expenditure both the big clubs have resorted to so often and in the long run will enable them to be better prepared to face tougher opponents in leagues outside of Spain.
Kaushik: This is exciting news for the brand of the Spanish League. This means that money will be distributed in a more fair manner. This does mathematically mean Real and Barca are to gain less but the League’s idea is to market the brand better and it will generate more total revenue thus increasing Real’s, Barca’s share in a way not to earn less than they would individually, and for the other teams it will generate more money than they earn currently. The effect of these changes though, will not be seen in full force till maybe 2018.
Bassam: Meh. As much as I would love my team getting more money, I think the TV deal is not fair for the others. La Liga presents a style of football that is rarely found in other leagues, and with a little bit more money, the other teams can compete with Barca and Real Madrid.
totalBarça: Predict your starting eleven.
Buj: As Guardiola always pick his best for games like these I’m going for Valdes, Abidal, Puyol, Pique, Alves, Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi, Villa, Messi and Pedro, of course depending on who’s available after the Almeria and Panathinaikos matches.
KG: This is the easy part, Valdes-Alves-Pique-Puyol-Abidal-Busquets-Xavi-Iniesta-Messi-Villa-Pedro. Pep is expected to keep his most preferred 11 for this key clash.
Kaushik: Not expecting too many surprises barring last minute injuries. We will go with San Iker protecting the goal, and the defense will be Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo. Alonso and Khedira will sit in front of them, and start the attack. Ozil will play centrally, Ronaldo and Di Maria will attack the wings and Higuain will lead the strike force. For Barca also I expect their standard XI which I am guessing will be Valdes; Alves, Pique, Puyol, Maxwell; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Villa. Wow, there are some real big names in this match!
Bassam: This is easy. The same starting 11 that has been rolling out since the start of the season with few exceptions.
San Iker, Ramos, Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo, Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Di Maria, Thong Boy, Pipita
totalBarça: Pick one player from both Real and Barca that you think will be the most dangerous.
Buj: For Barca, that is a no-brainer. Shackle him all they want, for even if he doesn’t score any, he’ll surely create some. Real Madrid, I’m not so sure. CR9 seems to be getting a grasp of what his role should be in the team but he seems lost at times. My vote though would go to Ozil. As we tend to defend high up the pitch, with his pace, he can unsettle us.
KG: I won’t say Messi and Ronaldo, they are 2 of the best players in the world and their individual brilliance can be decisive in any game but I am gonna try and break this match to the finer details.
To start with Real,
Di Maria/Ozil: I just couldn’t select one. These two players will be equally and most important to how Real play, we stop them from playing we negate 50% of their threat.
For Barca,
Busquets: He is going to decide a hell of a lot more than it seems on the surface. The pressure he will be under is immense. I strongly believe he has the character and ability to stop the best midfield from playing around him and he has proved it more than once but he is gonna have to do it again. If we are gonna outplay Real, Busi is our ace in the hole.
Kaushik: This has to be the easiest question to answer. Ronaldo and Messi. They are having a race of their own for Pichichi and for next year’s Ballon d’or, as well as for bragging rights. Although other players like Di Maria, Marcelo, Xavi and Iniesta will play a pivotal role, no two players are more important than Ronaldo and Messi.
Bassam: From Madrid, I think Marcelo will have to be at the top of his game to deal with Messi. As for Dangerous then I think Ozil will be the creative spark. As for Barca, then I think its Xavi. Messi is amazing, but Xavi is the mastermind.
totalBarça: Although it’s too early to say anything, how far do you think your team can go in the Champions league this season?
Buj: I think we can go pretty far, if not the finals. We were unlucky with the volcano and bad refereeing over both semi-final legs last season but looking at how we are building up towards the knock-out phases I am quite optimistic of that.
KG: Another Wembley triumph won’t do any harm to our trophy rack will it?
We have faced tough matches abroad with Rubin and Panathinaikos but we have managed to stay on top of the league. Although it is early I think the 2 teams that can seriously challenge us for the Champions league are Chelsea and Real Madrid, so our chances are pretty bright given that we are playing with almost the same team and with more intensity with each passing match, yes I believe we are serious contenders for the title.
Kaushik: Yes, it is too early to judge. I have to be very careful in making any predictions here if there is anything to judge from our recent history in the competition. I predict and hope that this time we clear the round of 16 at the very least. The team has potential to reach the semi-final. Anything beyond that will be a bonus. Barcelona on the other hand are odds on favourites because they have been essentially the same team for about 3 years and have had a good history in the competition the last few years. Seeing that Inter has gone down from the levels that won them the trophy, I would rank Barca up there. It would be great if there is a Clasico final, but for now I will be more than content with a semi final appearance.
Bassam: I don’t play this game. If you were a Madrid supporter you would understand why. Getting past the round of 16 will tickle my fancy.
totalBarça: Please feel free to say a word for your opponents.
Buj: ¡¡Tenga miedo!! ¡¡Tenga mucho miedo!! in Spanish.
Tingueu por! Tingueu molta por! in Catalan
KG: Real Madrid is a classy team on the pitch, absolutely no doubt regarding that. They will be extremely competitive this season with the world class players that they have got and have started showing their might already. It is going to be a tough fight for all 3 titles in Spain and 3 outside. Wish them best of luck in all their endeavours at being second, they are worthy runners up.
Finally, I am really honoured and thankful to totalBarca and the entire staff for giving me this opportunity to express my opinion on behalf of the cules on the eve of “El Clasico”. You guys are doing a hell of a job, keep it up. Visca el Barca.
Kaushik: Cheap taunts aside, I just want to say that this is the best Real Madrid team you guys have faced in a few years. They have the right mentality, the necessary exuberance of youth and the firepower to hold their own at your fortress. So you guys better expect a tougher showing than we have shown you in the last 4 Clasicos. That said, may there be a lot of goals and may the best team ( Us 
) win.
Bassam: This is not about who has the better players. Not about who has the better coach. Its not about a referee or luck. This is about who wants it more and who is willing to work for it more. We are hungry, and hopefully, hungrier than you.
Thanks everyone for being part of this series. Kaushik Ghosh, Buj and the writers from offside; Kaushik and Bassam it was fun working with all of you. Looking forward to the game!
Image Credits: Ashay Kubal
i just know that barca will win
i have no worries like in the previous matches
I have a feeling that Pep will field both Mascherano and Busquets as bivotal DM.
That would really surprise me. That would mean he is 'reacting' to Madrid. Barca plays at home. He will field his 'favorite' starting XI (Busquets and Pedro in). If anything, it's for Madrid to adjust.
I doubt it.
1. Not his style.
2.. That'll play into RM's strength. By doing so we'll have to rely on the flanks for the majority of our move, and we just don't have a true targetman to take advantage of this.
What we are good at is possession football and defence splitting passes. By playing as we usually do with one DM and two CMF, we can use the whole length and breadth of the pitch, and with Camp Nou spacious pitch, an attack can come from any angle, be it from the flanks or the middle.
Why do you think Mou former teams park their bus when they play us? It is precisely because of this. So lets us see whether he'll do that again. If he does, then either the match ends 0-0 or we won by a big margin (but only after we score the first and they have to come out).
dont show us real madrid shirt in this page plz!
I can't resist, for these important games, looking at the odds the bookies give. I figure they provide the most objective guess available, because they need to estimate the probabilities well in order to make money.
Anyway, if I'm correct about how to back-calculate the probabilities based on their payoffs, bet365.com and bwin.com are saying there's a roughly 45% chance of Barca winning, 25-30% of a draw and 25-30% of Madrid winning (bet365 gives 11/10, 23/10, 5/2, while bwin using decimal format gives 2.05, 3.7, 3.1). They don't give odds on Mourinho being a self-absorbed jerk about whatever the result is; I guess they figure everyone knows he will be.
By the way, bwin.com gives 1.65 decimal odds that the shirt number of the first scorer will be odd, versus 2.1 that the number is even. Pretty weird bet, I think. (But that's probably because of Villa; they seem to think it's slightly more likely that Messi or Villa will score first than any Madrid player).
Mou will either park the bus or he will play like the Dutch played against Spain in world cup finals. Hard, aggressive and Dirty. And after that typical Real Madrid counter attacks, direct and fast.
As for the players concerned I can surely say Messi will be the key for this clash, in a game like this when every player is match for match, individual skills from any one of them, a flash of brilliance is what can make of break a game.
Remember the great performances in the past, Ronaldinho, Zizou, Messi, Eto'o or Raul. I hope Messi will be THAT key player coming Clasico.
Awww… let it be. We're all broad minded people
barca shirt should be over madrid shirt, not like in this picture
Bassam: This is easy. The same starting 11 that has been rolling out since the start of the season with few exceptions.
San Iker, Ramos, Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo, Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Di Maria, Thong Boy, Pipita
———————————————————————————————————————————
thong boy….ahahaha
Red is always dominant
Xavi will be the most decisive player.
Agreed. I loved this picture, taken by a friend actually. It shows mentalities of both the clubs. On win a lottery sponsor.. which shows win at all cost…second says UNICEF which means more than a club identity.. which has been the motto of our club.
I felt this message was important than the white shirt over Blaugrana, hence kept this pic.
FREE CATALONIA ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9CJjrUCee4 … LETS BEAT THAT old franco team ! lets beat mourinho bastard! lest beat that team full of ,,stars'' ! lets beat that money spenders ! ! VISCA EL BARCA ! FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE GAME! BARCA BEST TEAM EVER !
WATCH THIS ! remember who we play
) haha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DceqR8JDmY0&fe…
We care about Futbol Club Barcelona, not stupid political movements.Our greatest players and coaches couldn't care less about it.
We care about Futbol Club Barcelona, not stupid political movements.Our greatest players and coaches couldn't care less about Catalan Independentism.Praise the city for its football team.That's what it's all about.
Reminding Barça fans of the opinions of a Madridista concerning his team, as if we didn't know.Cules vs Madridista.Eventually both will brag about their teams but they are also "humble".
Reminding Barça fans of the opinion of a Madridista concerning his team, as if we didn't know.Cules vs Madridista.Eventually both will brag about their teams but they are also "humble".
This line stood out for me: "Alonso and Khedira will sit in front of them, and start the attack".
Not "Alonso and Khedira will sit in front of the defence and break up attacks". That's how I see it too. This is not a bus-parking lineup. Khedira and Xabi Alonso are primarily attack-minded players; they start from deep but their asset is their skill on the ball going forward. Neither is a hard-tackling disruptor, and that's what a bus-parking team needs ahead of the defense.
In order to park the bus, you need to have a bus. I'm not sure the Ho has a bus. It will be interesting to see what he tries to do, but his choice lineup is not at all suited to the tactics he used last year against Barca.
@downcast97 you have a good feeling
.
@buj the formation won't change his style.We've played it before with Biscuits and Keita.And in the last el clasico,we played with only 2 forwards.Mourinho is the best at counter attacks,one DM is not enough to stop them.I believe it would be 4-2-3-1.This is not defensive,but just to stop there counters and distribute quickly to playmakers for build-up.And also the center backs+the 2 double pivots together will be more than enough to regain possession,therefore the fullbacks can participate more in attack.I'm pretty sure about it.This formation can extremely offensive but also extremely efficient to regain possession.
@downcast97 you have a good feeling
.
@buj the formation won't change his style.We've played it before with Biscuits and Keita.And in the last el clasico,we played with only 2 forwards.Mourinho is the best at counter attacks,one DM is not enough to stop them.I believe it would be 4-2-3-1.This is not defensive,but just to stop there counters and distribute quickly to playmakers for build-up.And also the center backs+the 2 double pivots together will be more than enough to regain possession,therefore the fullbacks can participate more in attack.I'm pretty sure about it.This formation can be extremely offensive but also extremely efficient to regain possession.
BOIXOIS NOIS
hey you, the writer, why is the white shirt on the top of blaugrana jersey?
Screw you for that.
Classy. You should check over at our blog if Shekhu has got a similar reception. I feel like taking my comment off.
There aint no brotherhood between madrid and barca man, only blood!
I think Mourinho is going to sruprise us. He might try for an all out attack in the first 10 minutes. If we take it easily then definitely he will park the bus and just counter us. But note, they are the most dangerous team in counters and this is what I am afraid about. Note most of the goals we received this year were from counters and here we are facing the best team in counter attack.
I just wish, we play our best posession game so that they dont get any ball free for a counter. posession should show 85% Barca.
just asking, are you going to keep messi in the trequartista role or play him as out and out winger and for the last time, keita is physical but he strictly is not as defensive as masche or busi
Haha admin, u deleted my comment, check this out, that comment didnt get no thumbs down and u still deleted it. I guess Perez called u haha, or Kaushik pays yall or sth lol
Listen, hell with madrid and madridista,
Now reply to me on why you deleted my comment if u got b@lls!
I am sad to have fellow cule like u admin, lets unite against merengues and kick some arse on the 29th
PS
My hatred against madrid grows exponentially twice a year, when I see blaugrana's next game is with them. hell u dont hate madrid, u aint no cule!
u r right my friend, we gotta stop madrid counter…. i have a feeling pep will put starting 11 like in madrid last year – dani as winger and draw back to help in defence. Lets teach some catalan to the traductor!!!
Visca Barca
I'll tell you why I'd like this formation.Because of course it would be helpful but also the players can play in their "natural" positions,where they are more efficient and without restrictions.
1.Pep is still struggling to make Villa efficient on the left wing,his best position is still as Striker,a goal machine.
2.Under Rijkaard,Messi played as Right Winger,he had to run and dribble more and scored less.Pep seems to have found where Messi is more efficient,as Second Striker,behind the Striker(Villa) in the formation I suggested,and behind the two Strikers in standard formation.
3.When two pivots are played,they have two different roles,one remains more alert and defensive,the other can participate further in midfield.Mascherano and Busquets are perfect for this.
4.The 2 Center Backs+the Double Pivot will be enough to contain any counter-attacks as they will form a double defensive line,therefore the Fullbacks(Alves,Maxwell) can attack as they usually do,along they flanks.
5.Iniesta won't have to play as Left Winger(where he's quite useless),he will be in midfield,with Xavi. Deadly Alliance!
————Valdes—————–
———–Piqué-Puyol——-
—Alves———————Maxwell—
———–Busquets—————–
—————-Mascherano———-
——-Xavi————–Iniesta—–
—————Messi—————–
——————-Villa————–
I'll tell you why I'd like this formation.Because of course it would be helpful but also the players can play in their "natural" positions,where they are more efficient and without restrictions.
1.Pep is still struggling to make Villa efficient on the left wing,his best position is still as Striker,a goal machine.
2.Under Rijkaard,Messi played as Right Winger,he had to run and dribble more and scored less.Pep seems to have found where Messi is more efficient,as Second Striker,behind the Striker(Villa) in the formation I suggested,and behind the two Strikers in standard formation.
3.When two pivots are played,they have two different roles,one remains more alert and defensive,the other can participate further in midfield.Mascherano and Busquets are perfect for this.
4.The 2 Center Backs+the Double Pivot will be enough to contain any counter-attacks as they will form a double defensive line,therefore the Fullbacks(Alves,Maxwell) can attack as they usually do,along the flanks.
5.Iniesta won't have to play as Left Winger(where he's quite useless),he will be in midfield,with Xavi. Deadly Alliance!
————Valdes—————–
———–Piqué-Puyol——-
—Alves———————Maxwell—
———–Busquets—————–
—————-Mascherano———-
——-Xavi————–Iniesta—–
—————Messi—————–
——————-Villa————–
You can hate Madrid all you want, not swear words will not be allowed on this website.
Kaushik, thank u and Bassam for your thoughtful comments and please dont be offended by some over reactive fans (we do have some). It was great on part of our admins to have veterans like u and Bassam on our blog and though my comments may look a little offensive I am a lighthearted fellow and no insults intended…:). Thanks again.
U go back to algeria with all folk who gave u thumbs up, barcelona is catalan army, and if u dont get it screw urself
screw u too girl, get outa tB
screw u too girl, get outa tB
lighthearted lol … go support getafe haha
lol man cool down, u arent going to play. Respect begets respect, hatred begets more hatred, support Barca because u love Barca not because u hate Madrid.
haha
we got a catalan army thats going to play ….. and yall got mercenaries!
respect begetss respect – exception madrid, yall are the same mofos who literally put gun on us and went on to win 11-0 screw yall.
being cule does being hatred to blacos …. and only homo madridista would disagree it
Dude we're in the 21st century.Football is something,politics is another.And I'm not from Algeria btw.
Ha Ha. You've hit him hard with that one ALEGRIA!!!
I know everyone says this is the best RM in years etc etc..but really, have they faced a strong side this year? A really strong side?? (not a decadent side such as milan or ajax). Not yet. They still have to play Villarreal and Valencia.
there's no reason to be pesimistic
I'm worried about their counter attacks, but the team has improved on that defensive subject since villarreal. But I was also worried about this last season, and we didn't let them have the ball, so they didn't have any chances. Don't make stupid mistakes like the ones against inter 1st leg and we'll be fine..
thong boy! hahahaha… so friggin' funny
now i'm curious about the deleted comments haha. but just to react to AlegriaDoPovo, catalan politics and barca kind of meshed during certain periods in the club's history and maybe still somewhat so today, so we cant really say that thing here.
now i'm curious about the deleted comments haha. but just to react to AlegriaDoPovo, catalan politics and barca kind of meshed during certain periods in the club's history and maybe still somewhat so today, so we cant really say that thing here. thats the different thing about barca and in a way its being 'mes que un club' prolly indicates something beyond the unicef/humanitarian thingy.