[GocartMozart]

This is the side I'm predicting from Barca. Please agree or disagree and let's come up with some strengths and weaknesses of the players.

Víctor Valdés
Gianluca Zambrotta - Lilian Thuram - Gabriel Milito - Sylvinho
Gnegneri Yaya Toure
Xavi - Iniesta

Lionel Messi - Samuel Eto'o - Bojan Krkic

Subs:
Pinto
Rafael Marquez
Eric Abidal
Eidur Gudjohnsen
Santiago Ezquerro
Giovanni
Henry

Carles Puyol will be missing

___________________________________
So let's break them down

Víctor Valdés - fairly tame from what i've seen. Looks competant against shots from distance and reaction time is decent, but seems timid on set pieces, however does have decent distribution. He doesn't do much yelling.

Gianluca Zambrotta - Supposedly a physical right back, decent marking, but what he lacks in straight speed he makes up in positioning. Experienced

Lilian Thuram - It could be Marquez stepping in for Puyol, but the one thing Thuram has is height and experience. I'd bet money on him to take the spot if healthy. He hasn't had much playing time this season and will be severally challeneged.

Gabriel Milito - has not meshed well with Puyol, but he seems a solid enough defender. Not the most physical and lacks height, but he may shine once he's stepped out of Puyol's shadow. Personally I see him as a major weakness.

Sylvinho - Outside of Puyol I think he's their best defender and has some great crosses to match. Works well with the winger, but will not maraude forward the way Evra does, but rather more in the Gazza type role.

Gnegneri Yaya Toure - Highly rated by many, but I have questions about his speed when facing a counter attack. Very tall and can be physical when need be. Great positioning and plays the defense midfield role very well.

Xavi - Great passing and vision and a very accurate freekick. He maraudes a bit into the opposition box especially on the right side and often looks for either Messi or Eto'o directly isntead of playing to the wing. Because of this habit, shutting him down will be key.

Iniesta - Creative with clevre passing and does plenty of running into the area, pairing with Eto'o and Bojan. If Xavi is off, Iniesta can pick it up more than capably.

Lionel Messi - Speed is the name of his game. He has incredible, I mean incredible acceleration that is beyond anyone I've seen. His top speed is fast, but not unmanageable. He is weak physically and is really dangerous moving to his right. When he moves infield I feel he is better contained. Limit his space and you limit his acceleration. Give him too little space and he may get by you before you know it. Good footwork on top of fearless running into the box is a real danger. Take Messi out of the game and you castrate Barca significantly. Short and should match-up well in the air with Evra and Vidic.

Samuel Eto'o - Always a danger with even a yard of space and can switch between being a poucher in the Ruud form or a creative asset in the Henry form. Always a threat and with his height, he's as dangerous with his head as with his feet.

Bojan Krkic - Smart player, very young and inexperienced, but older than his years. He can switch flanks at will, but doesn't have nearly the speed of Messi. The rest of the team seems slow in comparison to be honest, but Bojan does have his moments. I haven't seen enough of his shot to know how he is from distance, but he is an annoying poucher and can interpass in traffic.

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edit away. I haven't seen a ton of the team, btu these were my impressions.

[funkdoctorspock]

that starting lineup has much chance as I do bedding Natalie Portman, Gabrielle Union and Gemma Atkinson in the same night.

-------------------------------------- Valdes --------------------------------------

Zambrotta ---------------- Thuram -------------- Milito ----------- Abidal


-------------------------------- Yaya Toure --------------------------------

------------------- Xavi ------------------------- Iniesta --------------------


Messi ------------------------- Eto'o ------------------------- Henry

---

Valdes - Runs hot and cold. Prior years, you simply did not know which Valdes would show up. The quality goalkeeper, or the muppet marker. He is getting more consistent, but when bombarded under pressure, he wilts.

Zambrotta - Has tailered his game to Spanish football, with a physical touch of Italian football. Struggled early on with balancing his physical play to the whistle happy Spain league. He picks his spots now and with his excellent marking, has really improved his play.

Thuram - excellent defender, but with aged legs, pace has diminished. Excellent understanding of the game and puts himself in positions to cut off passes and keep the opposition from receiving distribution. Not physical.

Milito - Quick player who uses this to cut off passes. Not very physical and if I remember correctly. Not great with aerial pass clearances.

Abdial - Has had a horror season. Completely below his standards. He has been asked to be a wingback, but his temperment and comfort zone is to be a stay at home defender. Has been caught out of position because of the position change numerous times.

Yaya Toure - has had a quality season those far. Defensive midfielder, but can mix it up in attack. Fairly quick and cuts off passing through the channels. Can be physical.

Xavi - Monster. Complete box to box player who can beat you defensively with his pace, tackling and marking as well as offensively with his accurate passing and rocket of a shot. Spain's version of Paul Scholes.

Iniesta - Has matured into a quality attacking midfielder for the Catalan club. Links up play with the forwards very well and creates openings for himself in which to score. Pacey and loves to mix it up.

Messi - The lil dyanamo is coming off his 4th major injury in 3-4 years. When he is on his game, he can beat you on the dribble, beat you playing off of his teammates and beat you off the ball. Given any room to run, you are asking for trouble. A lot of it.

Eto'o - Best striker in the world. Thats right. Lemme repeat it one more time. The Best Striker in the World. Pace, accuracy and a cannon of a shot. Can beat you one on one, passing or off the ball. Has no issues playing physical either. Knows when to take his shots and when to involve his teammates.

Henry - Has had a decent season being asked to play out on the wing, which obviously isn't his favoured position. Still has pace, but his passing has lacked and his shot accuracy hasn't been great either.

----
Key matchups:

1. Ronaldo v Abidal/Messi v Evra - Both defenders will have to be on there toes because they will be facing probably the top 2 players in the world. They will get help from there teammates, but they will still have to do there best to make sure they stop both players in when isolated.

2. Iniesta v Hargreaves/Carrick

3. Rooney v Thuram/Milito/Eto'o v Rio/Vidic

[Anderson]

this would be my united side IF bojan starts

------------------------------VDS---------------------------------------
Brown------------Vidiv---------------Ferdinand----------------Evra
-----------------------------Carrick------------------------------------
------------------Anderson----------Scholes-------------------------
Ronaldo-------------------------------------------------------Rooney
-------------------------------Tevez------------------------------------

My only possible change would be anderson for Hargreaves as hargreaves has more experience in these games.

I think we HAVE to play rooney on the left as he will chase messi back and help out evra and giggs doesnt have the pace and Nani isnt that type of player

I also think the key battles will be between Evra/Messi and Ronaldo/Abidal or Slyvinho
Abidals recent form has been criticised so i think it will be Slyvinho who isnt the quickest Evra however has pace to match Messi (when he has the ball)

[GocartMozart]

Let's not act like my lineup is beyond reason shall we.

looks like Marquez might play instead. He's more physical, but doesn't have the height of Thuram. he hasn't played much either has he.

I still would rather have Sylvinho on than Abidal. As for Henry, it sounds like he might be questionable.

[jamesglamour]

i dont think that Thuram will play, they will see we have a pacy team and wont want the older centrehalf to play unless he has to.

i would think they would want to play Henry becuase he has experience playing against us.

i would try and get us to attack the fullbacks, and stretch thier defence; then is the 3 CM's are Carrick, scholes and hargreaves; Hargreaves should burst forward, then with the defence stretched, scholes playing telling chipped balls through it and try and catch tevez or rooney running onto it.