Champions League (matchday #6): FCBarcelona vs Bate

#FCBarcelona with 13pts has secured the 1stspot in Group H ahead of ACMilan (8pts).
Therefore, they will play with B-Team/Reserves to rest the starters for the Classico.

~ What is your Line-up/Formation/Score Predictions knowing that:

- Players that won't train until Tue and won't play v BATE: Valdes Alves Puyol Mascherano Abidal Busquets Keita Xavi Iniesta Cesc Alexis Messi Villa.

- 6 first team players (Pinto Pique Fontas Maxwell Thiago Pedro) and 12 B-team players will train on Mon and could be the squad for BATE game.

- Bplayers called up for Monday training: Oier Montoya S.Gomez Bartra Muniesa DosSantos Riverola Rafinha S.Roberto Cuenca K.Femenia Deulofeu

As long as Thiago starts and runs the midfield then I'm happy.

its obvious that its going to be (Pinto Pique Fontas Maxwell Thiago Pedro) +5 BTeam Players !!

Pinto
? Pique Fontas Maxwell
Thiago ? ?
? ? Pedro

Oier Montoya S.Gomez Bartra Muniesa DosSantos Riverola Rafinha S.Roberto Cuenca K.Femenia Deulofeu

For RB: Montoya
Midfield: JDS & SergiRoberto
Upfront: Pedro, Cuenxa & Deulofeu (or Rafinha)?



Pinto
Montoya Pique Fontas Maxwell
Thiago JDS Roberto
Cuenca Rafinha Pedro

Bartra for Pique, Deulofeu for Pedro & Riverola for? in the 2nd half..

The only problem is that there is no defensive mid. Do Santos and Roberto are both attaking mids. Thiago at defending mid or no defending mid?
Riverola, Gerard and Muniesa/Barta will come on.
Roberto will probably be at false 9 (sorry Khaled, but he has played in that position in the B's, when Sorriano wasn't there).
2-0 win like last year when we had a second eleven

I'm confident in Sergio Roberto's ability to play as CDM.

I expect Rafinha to start as a false 9, while he is flanked by Pedro & Cuenca.

Hope JDS plays.

Still love that kid. I won't give up on him!

Roberto won't play DM, JDS is much more comfortable in the position.

I can't understand why Soriano wasn't picked He's easily the best player to play CF. Instead they'll have to go with Pedro or one of the other B players to play as a false 9. Pedro is hopeless in such a role, so I can only expect it to be Thiago, Roberto or Rafinha.

Khaled's lineup looks pretty spot on:

BarcaKizz wrote:Roberto won't play DM, JDS is much more comfortable in the position.

I can't understand why Soriano wasn't picked He's easily the best player to play CF. Instead they'll have to go with Pedro or one of the other B players to play as a false 9. Pedro is hopeless in such a role, so I can only expect it to be Thiago, Roberto or Rafinha.

Khaled's lineup looks pretty spot on:

Pinto
Montoya Pique Fontas Maxwell
Thiago JDS Roberto
Cuenca Rafinha Pedro

Kizz, has JDS transitioned from CM to DM...?

I don't watch Barca B

Also how does he look this season?

Tbh I haven't watched Barca B this season, regrettably. I'll try to watch a few more games. However, I gather he's played there quite a bit as both Romeu and Fontas, who played there last year, are no longer with the squad. He's played there a few times for Barca in friendlies etc. too. He's quite good there, I think he's better at CM, but there are more talented CMs so he is doing what he can.

In terms of this game... he's really the only option. Roberto isn't a DM, he can play box to box or attacking. He has defensive qualities, but he's not the type to sit in front of a defence. JDS could do that.

The other option would be Fontas at DM, who is very good there, but I think Pep would want him to have experience at CB.

Fontas at DM? Then we would have to put in Muniesa/Barta in the centre, creating havak for the other 3 players from the B squad starting.

paxtonpale wrote:Fontas at DM? Then we would have to put in Muniesa/Barta in the centre, creating havak for the other 3 players from the B squad starting.

Well as I said, I know its not going to happen, but in what way would it create havoc... It would actually be a much better balanced side.

Montoya-Pique-Muniesa-Maxwell
Thiago-Fontas-JDS/Roberto
Cuenca-Rafinha/Roberto-Pedro

Pique and Fontas aren't a great combination as they are very similar and a partnership with Muniesa has long been anticipated and favoured for the future. Fontas would also stabilise the midfield quite a bit too. With the players we are playing we will be lucky to win. We are by no means the big favourites.

Do you really think we'll see an essentially Barca B side in the CL Kizz?

There is a CL registered roster, how many Barca B are on it? I am sure guys like Rafinha, Muniesa are not.

The Franchise wrote:There is a CL registered roster, how many Barca B are on it? I am sure guys like Rafinha, Muniesa are not.

Actually on UEFA's s site all those names you mentioned are on the squad list. Nine outfield B-Squad players in total + Oier, and Miño as keepers.


Source:http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/clubs/club=50080/squad/index.html

Wow. So many players...I thought you could only have like 22 guys.

There's an asterik that says they're from the "Player list B", which I'm guessing means youth. So apparently they make an exception for youth.

Makes sense.

I love how Deulofeu & Rafinha are both listed. Show how high the club are on them considering this is their first full season outside the youth ranks.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Do you really think we'll see an essentially Barca B side in the CL Kizz?

Well if thats the squad we are taking then we have no other choice. I think the priority is clearly the Bernabeu and so we shouldn't be worried about resting too many players.

Including Pinto, Maxwell and Fontas is obvious... they won't be playing against Madrid bar emergency and could do with gametime. Pique missed the game on the weekend and could also do with time. Pedro needs gametime and this is an indication he won't be starting in Madrid. Unless he scores a hattrick and is red hot it will be Sanchez and Villa up front. Thiago probably won't have a big role and could do with the experience anyway.

IF this isn't the final squad, then maybe we're just reading too far into this, but if anyone else plays I'd say it will be Keita, Mascherano and maybe Fabregas.

Let’s hope Messi will not insist on playing just to persue his top CL goalscorer target

OFFTOPIC: Andres Iniesta has invested 420,000 Euros and is now the largest shareholder of Albacete, a Segunda División B club.

>>> Match Preview:
-----------------------------

~ Official Squad: 11 Barca B players + Cuenca & 6 first team players:



Pinto, Piqué, Thiago, Maxwell, Fontàs, Pedro, Oier(GK, 21), Montoya(RB, 20), S.Gomez(CB, 19), Bartra(CB, 20), Muniesa(CB, 19), DosSantos(CM/DM, 21), Riverola(CM, 20), Rafinha(AM/false9, 18), S.Roberto(CM/AM, 19), Cuenca(W, 20), K.Femenia(RW, 20), Deulofeu (W, 17).

- Players that won't train until Tue and won't play v BATE: Valdes Alves Puyol Mascherano Abidal Busquets Keita Xavi Iniesta Cesc Alexis Messi Villa.

~ Line-up Predictions:
Pinto
Montoya Pique Fontas Maxwell
Thiago JDS Roberto
Cuenca Rafinha Pedro

Bartra for Pique, Deulofeu for Pedro in 2nd half?

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/guardiola-prepares-for-bate-with-11-barca-b-players

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~ FCBarcelona faced Bate once before, this season in Belarus, score was 0-5.
http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/match-archive/2011-2012/champions-league/round-2-h/bate-borisov_fc-barcelona

------------------

~ Press Conference:

`Pedro: "We want to finish the group stage unbeaten"
www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/pedro-aims-to-regain-form-against-bate-borisov-with-the-clasico-looming

`Guardiola: “I want the youngsters to be audacious”
www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/guardiola-against-bate-borisov-i-want-the-youngsters-to-be-audacious

OFFICIAL:

~ Alineación del FCB: Pinto, Montoya, Bartra, Fontàs, Maxwell, Dos Santos, Thiago, Rafinha, Sergi Roberto, Cuenca y Pedro

~l Bench: Oier, Piqué, Riverola, Kiko Femenía, Muniesa, Sergi Gómez y Deulofeu !!

9 players from LA MASIA!!!

Alcantara Brothers playing for the first time together in the 1st team!!

Pedro brace, Cuenca with 3 ASSISTS!!!!!!

FCBarcelona 4 - 0 Bate FT
`Goals: Pedro (2), SergiRoberto (1), Montoya (1)
` Assists: Cuenca (2) + Cuenca won a Penalty(scored by Pedro)!
` Possession: 76%
` Passing Accuracy: 93%
` Shots (On target): 22 (9) vs 2 (0) for Bate!!

Great Great Game by Barca "B" Players!!!!! Most impressed by RAFINHA!
Deulofeu needs time alot of work ( his decision making is still bad/ when to dribble, when to pass, cross etc..) Sergi Roberto, Batra, Fontas, MONTOYA, Bartra all had very gd games.. also Muniesa came in the 2nd half & was gd!

LA MASIA ♥ Visca el Barca ♥