Club World Cup Preview: Al-Sadd SC vs FC Barcelona
Cules in North and South America will be setting their alarm clocks or burning the midnight oil for a chance to see FC Barcelona commence its third FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a semi-final berth against Asian Football Confederation champion Al-Sadd Sports Club in Yokohama, Japan during the wee Thursday hours.
Kicking off at 5:30 am EST, this match will mark the first time Barcelona has set foot in the Yokohama International Stadium since its 2006 CWC final defeat to would-be champion Sport Club Internacional de Porto Alegre of Brazil.
Al-Sadd team news
Despite the Qataris taking a curious route to Asian Champions League glory, “Al-Badd,” as they became known in the final stages of the competition, earned their place in the semi finals by besting African champion Esperance de Tunis. Though not always looking the better team in the match, a 2-1 scoreline was enough to send Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati’s men through to a draw against the world’s best.
The only Qatari side to ever win the Asian Champions League, Al-Sadd boasts a healthy mix of veterans and young-blood. None are better known to Lionel Messi than former Lyon and Portsmouth left-back Nadir Belhadj (29), who has already encountered Barcelona in the Champions League while playing with Lyon.
Managing only four shots in the last round to Esperance’s 15, it is not unwise to expect changes to Al-Sadd’s starting eleven. Brazilian striker Leandro (26) could make an appearance in the probable 4-3-3 or 4-1-2-3 line up alongside Senegalese international Mamadou Niang (32) and Ivory Coast international Kader Keita (30).
Probable starting XI: Mohamed Saqr Ahmed; Nadir Belhadj, Jung-Soo Lee, Mohammed Kasota, Ibrahim Majid; Abdulla Koni; Wesam Rizik-Abdulmajid, Tala Alboloshi; Kader Keita, Leandro, Mamadou Niang
FC Barcelona team news
Barcelona is currently training at full strength, which means Pep Guardiola will likely field a stacked side while taking some tactical liberties as well. Where Cesc Fabregas and Messi will be positioned is anyone’s guess, although it is safe to say it will be somewhere between harassing the keeper and causing total chaos among Al-Sadd’s back line and holding midfielder.
The team’s spirit is high, and considering the mauling Barcelona gave to a certain Spanish side recently, one could expect Guardiola to put out a side for the spectators featuring the blaugrana’s best. However, if resting players for a possible Sunday encounter with Kashiwa Reysol or Santos FC is the prerogative, expect Jonathan dos Santos, Maxwell and Isaac Cuenca to be in the mix. But that typically does not seem to be the way Guardiola likes to play his tournaments, now does it?
Probable starting XI: Victor Valdes; Alves, Pique, Puyol, Adriano; Busquets, Fabregas, Xavi; Villa, Messi, Pedro
Prediction: Let’s be real here. Al-Sadd has had a magical journey getting to Japan, but Barcelona’s depth this season makes it seem impossible to come up with a line-up that would succumb to the Asian champions. 3-0 Barcelona.
Image credit: TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images)
Oh thanks a
Line up should nt be underated but the line up should be.
Oier; masc, fontas, abi; jds, thiago,maxwell, keita; cuenca, villa, adriano
Valdes
Adriano Mash Puyol Abidal
Thiago Kieta Iniesta
Pedro Messi Villa
I thnk thts gna b our offical starting line-up anyway dudes let’s do ths#game face on#
VISCA BARCA:)gooooood luckkkk to us
Nigeria time 4 Barca match. Up Barca.our cup, our match, our victory/Season
Ok this should be easy win, but any opponent can be hard! Barça – Santos final would be a great great match to watch!
Don’t get too confident!
They ours for the taking….
I'd love to see the young side that took down Bate Borisov in action again. I'm sure they'd have no trouble with the Qataris, and it would keep Messi and the rest of the regulars fresh for Santos.
Same, but unfortunately there are only 3 players from Barca B in the squad, Oier, JDS and Cuenca.
Except that young side are home in Barcelona, not in Japan.
The just play as they did in the 2nd half against Madrid and have a good chance of winning.
Oh and at least 1 Messi goal would be sweet so he can end the year probably by scoring in all 6 competitions already!
No, he's yet to score in the Copa del Rey. But, he'll achieved that by next Thursday.
That was what my "probably" implied.
I want to see Oier and Fontas..
Oier – Adriano, Mascherano, Fontas, Maxwell – Keita, Cesc, Thiago – Pedro, Villa, Cuenca should be enough…
Thats exactly the line-up I want to see in the semifinal. Then something slightly better vs. Santos
Little bit off topic: I watched today Santos.. Great individual skills, long shots and dangerous free kicks. But no team organized attack, shaky defense. They are still in pre-season and second half was much weaker.
I didn't see them as strong as I expected (have to admit watch them first time full game).
Any thoughts?
They didnt look impressive to me, althought they scored 3 great goals from superb shots.
Some horrendous passing in the back from them too.
their defense is not good…. i was not impressed at all….they finished 10th in the brazilian league…that sums it up…….all goals were long shots and were very good and will be athreat to barca….esp the freekick….barca will thrash them if they play the way they played today…
thought the japanese were much better, wasted so many chances to score .
I did not see the highlights but from what I know they have only 1 creative player, Ganso, and he would sit behind at least 5 of our creative players: Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc, Messi, Thiago. Perhaps more if I include the passing ability of players further back like Busquets, Alves, Adriano, PK.
But Neymar is really good.I think i’m starting to believe the hype.
yeah the japanese for me were the better team, if we go to the final, we should mark well ganso, if we do that, neymar and borges won't receive the ball. I ws impressed with the rightback from kashiwa, sakai, very interesting player.
I believe that with the "easiest" matches for barca is the hardest ones. We have lost so many "easy" games, I dont believe in easy anymore, win against real was easy but loss to some easy opposition is hard. lol.
Play Puyol and we will be ok.
I think he wants to come to Barca.He’s got the hots for Messi.Neymar.Where can i catch our game?
—————-PINTO
PUYOL—–MASCH—–MAXWELL
THIAGO—CESC—JDS—KEITA
CUENCA—-VILLA—–HLEB
oh. my. god. LOOK at that left side!!!! i predict 7-0….. at half time.
PEP IF YOU ARE SMART REMEMBER TO PLAY A LEFT LINE OF MAXWELL-KEITA-HLEB. u beat madrid so that is good but if you ask me (and sandro) your job is probably still on the line. winning this tournament can help you keep your job. just like in madrid YOU HAVE TO BE UNPREDICTABLE!!!!! play this line up and i GUARANTEE you will win!!! it is also a good chance to see hleb play because then you will know how good he is and then he can play in the next clasico!!!!
ALSO, this is an important match becuse if we see how GREAT hleb plays than we can decide if we need to buy anyone for january…. sorry nerman & santos, but i think with the re-appearance of hleb that 55m transfer may be in jeopardy…..
Hleb is still not with the team….What are you talking about????But i agree with ur lineup with pedro instead of Hleb and Cuenca and pedro switching sides!
OMG!!!look everyone theres Keita!
and we should buy back oleguer….
What about Barack Obama, he can play instead of Villa :p
watch the CLUB WORLD CUP here:
http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/highlights/video…
highlights!
Valdes
Masherano Pique Abidal
JDS Thiago Keita Cesc
Cuenca Villa Pedro
Hey guys, I do not mean to under rate these teams out there but for once just be realistic, these teams are just gonna park the jets and wait for some stupid miracle. I know lionel will try to equal pedro’s record so he might score one or two. But as for santos trust me their defence cannot stand a trio of alves, busquets and pique (and we all know too well that this is not even a probability) if we are able to get two past them they would just crumble because they lack the expertise to handle such situations. I see a santos team coming out to give all they have. But I’m afraid their best is not even good enough to be man u(with all due respect to SAF). MES QUE UN CLUB. From Nigeria
sooo what time is the match in UK time, please help guys and does anyone know what time the last 16 draw is on and when?
The last 16 draw is on friday at 11 am in the morning.
Also the game tomorrow at the UK (London time) is ten thirty am in the morning. My previous reply to your comment about the timing of the last 16 draw is also in UK (London time).:)
we should field
VV
DANI-PIQUE-FONTAS-ADRIANO
THIAGO-BUSQUETS-FABREGAS
CUENCA-MESSI-SANCHEZ
Semi-final
Oier
Adriano-Fontas-Mascherano-Maxwell
Tiago-Keita-JDS
Cuenca-Villa-Pedro
Final
Pinto
Dani-Pique-Mascherano-Abidal
Xavi-Busi-Iniesta
Sanches-Cesc-Messi
I think it should be:
—————–Valdes————–
Mascherano—Pique—Adriano/Maxwell
——————Sergio————-
—–Thiago—————–Iniesta
—————-Fabregas———–
—Pedro——-Messi——–Villa–
Iniesta, Fabregas and Messi/Sergio should be subbed.
And in the final it should be the same line up of the Classico.
What I thaught too!!
Is ESPN going to broadcast e match IN New York City, USA?
The games are on Fox Soccer Channel in the USA. (I'm in New Haven, CT.)
4:0 for us <3
valdes
adriano mascherano fontas maxwell
thiago keita fabregas
cuenca villa pedro
3-0 barca
Oh thanks alot