El Preview for El Clasico

By: Corey | April 29th, 2009

Entrenamiento
28-04-09, 11:00 horas, CRM
Partido
Real Madrid – Barcelona
Fecha: 02/05/2009
Hora: 20:00
Estadio: Santiago Bernabéu
Jornada: 34
TV: PPV
RM Radio: 94.2 FM Madrid

Real Madrid and Barcelona clash this Saturday at 2pm eastern (20:00 GMT) in the return leg of this season’s Clasico, the biggest derbi in the world. And this one could not be any more important, as Barca comes in to the game with a 4 point lead on Real at the top of the table with 5 games to go. The game also comes during the most pivotal time in Barcelona’s season as they have a Champions League quarter final against Chelsea before the game, which they drew 0-0. Meanwhile Real can count on this game to be their season decider, as only a victory will surely keep them in the hunt for their third straight league title with so few time games left in the season.

Barcelona of course are a fantastic team, with equal measure of attacking flair, possession based passing and a quickly adapting, high defensive line. Pretty much how you should play football, and I find it really tough to try and pick apart what they do wrong. We all know what we are up against, and that this past El Clasico was one of the most lop-sided ones in history,but Real do not have their backs against the wall this time.

Barcelona News:

Rafa Marquez is out for the season with a knee injury he sustained against Chelsea, which I guess is bad news for Real fans as Marquez’s habitual errors always present opposition teams with a chance at goal. Proof is in the pudding, check out the Chelsea game, where Marquez rolls the ball on to Drogba’s foot for a chance at goal that is not taken. Chances are Raul would not need to a second take to put that one away. Higuain might, but lets not get in to that.

I am pretty sure the Barcelona players are a little fatigued after trying their damnedest to break down Chelsea. I watched the match hoping to see some sort of defensive weakness to exploit, but instead I saw 9 Chelsea players behind the ball and Didier Drogba inside his own half most of the game. It was a pathetic display from Chelsea, and I find it outrageous that Chelsea, a representative of the English league, can claim to play in the best league in the world when they were stricken with fear by Barcelona and clammed up like that. Awful.

I applaud Barca for still going for it. I give two thumbs down to the English team. The truth is though that while I am confident that Real can get a result, Barcelona is an excellent team and it will take a lot to get a win against them. But I think it can be done.

Barcelona’s squad list will be posted when it becomes available.

EDIT x2: The eternal foe’s squad list….

Valdés, Jorquera; Pique, Puyol, Caceres, Sylvinho, Abidal, Alves; Xavi, Busquets, Toure, Keita, Iniesta, Hleb, Gudjohnsen; Henry, Bojan, Messi, Etoo

A full squad except for Milito and Marquez, with Victor Sanchez and Pedrito in the reserves.

Real Madrid News:

Since I wrote this up pretty early, I do not have a squad list yet but I will post that when it is made available. I can however tell you that Gabi Heinze has returned to training after recovering from knee pain, and will be fit for selection on Saturday. Arjen Robben still remains a doubt as of Tuesday, and my best guess is that he will miss the match with the shin problem he picked up against Getafe two weeks ago. Sneijder is of course out for the season and Gago has been training in the gym so far this week, but there are no immediate concerns towards his participation in the game. Pepe of course is suspended for the remainder of the season, so he is also out of the squad, but he has been training with the team this week. A nearly full squad for Juande to choose from for this pivotal match.

EDIT: Guti is out with a left ankle injury which he sustained in training today. DAMNIT!

Here is my expected lineup for Saturday:

—————-Casillas—————–
Ramos—Metzelder—Canna—Heinze
Higuain——Lass—–Gago—–Marcelo
———–Hunter—Raul————–

Bench: Dudek, Torres, Salgado, Javi Garcia, Drenthe, VdV, Huntelaar

No Torres, and no Hunter in the starting eleven. And no Saviola on the bench (awww).

First things first. I like Torres at left back better then Heinze, but lets be honest, Juande does not somehow. So I see Heinze starting with alot of help from Marcelo to watch over Messi. Containing Messi was the big issue the last time, but I dont think that is the main task this time. Sure someone will have to man mark Messi all game, but watching Chelsea and their snore fest of a team, it became pretty obvious that not allowing your defensive line any further then the top of the box, and your midfield line no close then 5 yards from them.

It basically creates a web that forces Toure/Keita and Xavi to pass more horizontally and not find either Iniesta or Etoo for quick give and go’s that create penetration through the lines. Likewise for Messi and Henry. Chelsea used two lines straight across the field, with a 5 man midfield, which basically did not let Barcelona players turn. When they did turn, three players converged on that player, squeezing his space to nothing and forcing either a turnover or an outlet pass to begin the process again.

Eliminating the vertical passing in tight spaces and keeping Iniesta, Henry and Messi from effectively turning in to space and running will limit the danger on Real’s back line. Hence a strong back four with a more mobile midfield thats not immensely attack minded, but can still do a job. Higuain provides width along with Marcelo, and Higuain will need to provide the linkage play and through balls, which he has been getting better at. Gago also will have to be very involved in the build up play without a true crack in the team, something that he has not always shown willingness to do. Its not the strongest lineup Juande can field against Barcelona, but its what he has available to him.

They key to this game, as most games, is to start well. No more nap time for the first 30 minutes of a game to the point where you have to climb out of a whole. An early goal is probably to much to ask, but not conceding early on and playing well, showing attacking intent and midfield strength will be essential. Barcelona’s confidence grows throughout the match when they see what they can get away with with each move. Showing no fear against them to start and playing compact and quick through Barcelona’s three man midfield and high defensive line.

Marcelo really needs to get at Dani Alves, who I see as a weak point of the team. Watching him against Chelsea was almost painful in his poor defensive stance against a very lacking Florent Malouda, and his predictable and unimaginative crossing. His pace will be a test, but he is so easily riled up and he goes down with an “injury” so quickly that Heinze really is gonna kick him to death if he starts over lapping to much. If Marcelo can keep challenging him on the wing, he is bound to win a few battles and get crosses in. He wont beat him for speed, or even skill, but he can really just keep trying to muscle his way past him and hope for the best.

The other weakness will be in the air. Pique is a very big guy, and Puyol has a good spring on him, so it seems silly for me to say this, but Huntelaar is just so damn good at heading balls on, holding play up with a trap, or just backing in to defenders for that matter. I think Huntelaar can win the aerial battle which could create problems for Barcelona only if Real gets good crosses in to the box for Huntelaar. Thats a big if.

EDIT x2: Squad to face the eternal foe….

Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek
Defenders: Heinze, Torres, Marcelo, Ramos, Cannavaro, Metzelder, Garcia
Midfielders: Van der Vaart, Parejo, Gago, Lass, Robben, Faubert
Forwards: Raul, Higuain, Huntelaar, Saviola

Salgado, Pepe and Codina left out. Faubert makes the list, as does Heinze and Robben.

Game time is 2pm on Saturday, and I will be doing a Cover It Live blog for the match, so stop by to discuss the match or just read the play by play if you cannot watch the match where you are.

Lets not forget what happened the last time Barcelona visited the Bernabeu: