The College Dropout Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Aye Chelsea really rode their luck. Not the case yesterday. Stifler's correct in the assertion that yesterday, it was similarish to the Swansea game we won 2-0 at theirs. Except Swansea had 13 shots on target, mostly speculative from distance. Barcelona only managed 7 attempts yesterday, THREE ON TARGET! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beren Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Surprised it was as many as three tbh! Barcelona are a wonderful team - easily the best of the era (well, d'uh) - and it almost denigrates the reality of how good they are by people (mainly in the media) making excuses for them for last night, instead of giving Milan the credit they deserve. I would kill to see how this Barcelona team would fare in a different/better era of football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I thought Italian football was shit? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icemanblue Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I thought Italian football was shit? It is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Got nowt on the J-League like Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Did okay at the Euro's like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Milan were outstanding yesterday, you won't see a better defensive performance in a long time. Barcelona did themselves no favours in the start of the second half when they looked like they just wanted the game to finish 0-0 and go home and have a sleep. Fair play to Milan for exploiting that and come away with an excellent result. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icemanblue Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Got nowt on the J-League like S-Pulse 4 LIFE. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 961 touches for Barcelona players tonight. 11 were in the penalty area. Milan were bloody brilliant. Completely agree on another note Messi only had one touch in the penalty area, keep the whole team at arms length superbly well and attacked with purpose when they could. It's hard to remember - off the top of my head at least - Barca being stifled as much as they were tonight. Yes, they have certain games where the opposition are hard to break down, sometimes very hard to break down, but they usually at least create a few good openings here and there. However, I can't remember a single decent opportunity for them tonight. Did Abbiati have a meaningful thing to do all game? Was his goal at any time in real danger? I'm being serious when I say Milan's performance should go down as one of the greatest performances in recent years, certainly of games I've seen anyway. They reduced the greatest team of our generation to nothingness, yet managed to deliver 2 clinical finishes of their own. Nope he could have sat in the stands, got his phone out and tweeted Boateng that his hair is shit. But seriously i can't remember Barca being stifled so much before either, against Chelsea they had a multitude of chances and even against Inter they had the chances. What it should also tell you is that not just anyone can manage this Barca side( was a ridiculous suggestion to begin with but last night proved it) as that assistant manager bloke looks clueless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 961 touches for Barcelona players tonight. 11 were in the penalty area. Milan were bloody brilliant. Completely agree on another note Messi only had one touch in the penalty area, keep the whole team at arms length superbly well and attacked with purpose when they could. It's hard to remember - off the top of my head at least - Barca being stifled as much as they were tonight. Yes, they have certain games where the opposition are hard to break down, sometimes very hard to break down, but they usually at least create a few good openings here and there. However, I can't remember a single decent opportunity for them tonight. Did Abbiati have a meaningful thing to do all game? Was his goal at any time in real danger? I'm being serious when I say Milan's performance should go down as one of the greatest performances in recent years, certainly of games I've seen anyway. They reduced the greatest team of our generation to nothingness, yet managed to deliver 2 clinical finishes of their own. Nope he could have sat in the stands, got his phone out and tweeted Boateng that his hair is s***. But seriously i can't remember Barca being stifled so much before either, against Chelsea they had a multitude of chances and even against Inter they had the chances. What it should also tell you is that not just anyone can manage this Barca side( was a ridiculous suggestion to begin with but last night proved it) as that assistant manager bloke looks clueless. at referring to the assistant manager as clueless. What did you want him to do? Milan had Barcelona by their balls and neither Messi, Iniesta or Xavi were able to create anything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Watch Barca since Tito went to hospital, the drop in performance is noticeable. Its not a coincidence. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Agree with Mole to an extent. They've definitely missed Tito. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 If Barcalona fail to overturn the deficit (I don't think they will) this will be the second time they've gone out against a counter attacking side in a row, and there was Mourinho's Inter display against them. There is starting to be a patter, but this imo was different from the Chelsea backs to the wall defending, there was confidence and ambition in Milan side and it all paid off. I wonder if that there is a shift from possession play back to counter attacking play. Back when Barcalona walked the champions league it looked like they'd made a team that suffocated teams so much with possession and were so cutting in attack they were unstoppable. If they sorted out problems at both ends of the pitch (Messi is over burdened with goal scoring now and their defence is letting in goals regularly now) then maybe it would be different, but I wonder if the pendulum has shifted away from possession football. (of course in international footy Spain still top dogs but Italy are a rising force, despite being brushed aside in final). Of course not saying Barcalona finished, they will continue to be probably the best team on paper in the world, and are maybe a few signings away from achieving that kind of untouchable genius of that team two seasons ago, but i think there's a growing confidence in the ability to defend against them. They'll probably go and win 3-0 at camp nou now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 are they still playing as much of a pressing game as they did under pep? that was one of the things that made them for me, they had the ball so much but when they didn't they were pressing the opposition so high up the pitch and all over the pitch that they were almost unplayable...teams couldn't break on them being the problem Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Watch Barca since Tito went to hospital, the drop in performance is noticeable. Its not a coincidence. Absolutely. They're really missing him, their performances have been very underwhelming since he's been undergoing treatment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Watch Barca since Tito went to hospital, the drop in performance is noticeable. Its not a coincidence. Absolutely. They're really missing him, their performances have been very underwhelming since he's been undergoing treatment. Agreed, think their away performances are suffering more than home though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Watch Barca since Tito went to hospital, the drop in performance is noticeable. Its not a coincidence. Although I certainly wouldn't pin our defeat yesterday to Roura, that is true. Tito keeps tabs on the team and talks lineup and tactics with Roura, but it's not nearly the same as being there and watch your players train and watch the games live. I don't think the club has managed this well, we should have appointed a proper interim manager, specially now that it's clear that Tito's recovery isn't as quick as expected Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Miguel Piñero Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 961 touches for Barcelona players tonight. 11 were in the penalty area. Milan were bloody brilliant. Astonishing stat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeletor Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 1-0 Lyon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Get in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leffe186 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Textbook European ref today *sigh*. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Textbook European ref today *sigh*. We had him last week. He was awesome. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leffe186 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Textbook European ref today *sigh*. We had him last week. He was awesome. Forgot it was this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Stark He's been fucking terrible. As homer as a homer can be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Nah, it wasn't him we had exactly. Just the same typical European Ref (from Norway). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leffe186 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Nah, it wasn't him we had exactly. Just the same typical European Ref (from Norway). We're not playing well at all, but it's so frustrating when you can call all the shit decisions before he makes them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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