Malaga vs Barcelona | Copa del Rey | 24/01/13

Iniesta did well for the assist from the wing to be honest it has it's advantages

Why do we have a 25 man squad if we only trust 13 players? It's ridiculous that we don't sub anyone until the minute 82, winning 2-3 and then 2-4.

We have to rotate more in the following weeks if we want to arrive at the end of the season at 100%.

The build up to that Iniesta goal was amazing.
And big ups for subbing Messi out. First time I've seen that happen in a few years.

Great game until that 3rd goal killed it,Manuel Pelligrini got his tactics spot on as usual but there is nothing he can do about his defenders limitations.The likes of Dimicahels and Wellington look really good at times in games but they both have way too many mistakes in them to properly defend wave after wave of attacks from the greatest team in history.You can't make several mistakes against this Barca team or 9/10 you will get punished.

Noticed Camacho made another bad mistake again,fannying around with the ball on the edge of the box which led to a Messi chance.You can't do that when the likes of Messi and Fabregas are on the other team.He definatley has a concentration/awareness problem.He isn't the only one who gets caught out doing this,so do Wellignton and Dimicahels.

Thought Xavi was much better in the 2nd Half.Some of those turns and skills were great.And that passing interchance between Messi and Alves was

eh, Tito would of subbed at the 70th minute in my opinion
anyways had faith in the team we pulled through good win entertaining match overall

@worms wrote:Great game until that 3rd goal killed it,Manuel Pelligrini got his tactics spot on as usual but there is nothing he can do about his defenders limitations.The likes of Dimicahels and Wellington look really good at times in games but they both have way too many mistakes in them to properly defend wave after wave of attacks from the greatest team in history.You can't make several mistakes against this Barca team or 9/10 you will get punished.

I actually think he didn't get his tactics right. His instruction to press Barcelona high up the pitch left Málaga jaded after 70th minutes. From then on it was Barça out and out.

@danyjr wrote:The build up to that Iniesta goal was amazing.
And big ups for subbing Messi out. First time I've seen that happen in a few years.

Don't get too excited, Messi was subbed off because he has a cold

That was one of the more entertaining 2nd halves so far this season. We looked great

@danyjr wrote:

@worms wrote:Great game until that 3rd goal killed it,Manuel Pelligrini got his tactics spot on as usual but there is nothing he can do about his defenders limitations.The likes of Dimicahels and Wellington look really good at times in games but they both have way too many mistakes in them to properly defend wave after wave of attacks from the greatest team in history.You can't make several mistakes against this Barca team or 9/10 you will get punished.

I actually think he didn't get his tactics right. His instruction to press Barcelona high up the pitch left Málaga jaded after 70th minutes. From then on it was Barça out and out.

Malaga got tired at that point; we kept turning around them and making more triangles then before in the game. They couldn't keep up with the pace they had before.

Terrible passing in the first half. Other then that pretty OK game. Messi saving for CL (+ a cold I heard), thats OK. Alves motm.

Compliments to Pelligrini - great tactics.

Yes, Xavi was much better in the second half as was Iniesta. Everyone played great to be honest. Fantastic to see Alves playing so well. Props to Pedro too who had a great game. Difficult to choose a MOM, many players were great, it would possibly be between Alves, Pedro, Messi and Iniesta.

@free_cat wrote:Fantastic to see Alves playing so well.

Promise you last he would have been kept on the pitch with influenza last year.

I dont know if its true but a friend told me messi called for the sub. Dont forget this guy just wants the team to win. When this was secured he wanted to rest, maybe?

Happy with the result and most of the performance, especially the 2nd half performance.

I have to say, 2 things really pissed me off.

This no left winger thing is dead. I could of played rightback for Malaga, he didnt have anything to do at all.

Messi got the ball, looked to his left and saw noone..time after time after time. So much opportunity to play a pass, nobody there.

Second, do we make subs or even change the team at all?

The same front 6 game after after after game...whats the point of depth?

I felt we did well, and I felt Dani Alves continues to show why he is still the king of his position, not just for us, but for anyone, anywhere. He is constantly up that side, always on the overlap, links with Messi like no other and back in his position is good time.

Iniesta continues his great run of form, scored a goal but also involved in others.

Im happy, despite the negative tone of my post, I am...but those 2 things really annoyed me.

Also if we are fair, Cesc needs to stop doing what Alexis does..its getting annoying.

Not sure about Dani Alves, yes he provided two top notch assists but I've seen him playing much much better. I think he's past his best.

Also you really need to do some training on the defensive side of things. Faster teams like Madrid can potentially rip you apart.

Messi asked to be subbed, he felt a bit of overload (?) in a muscle (no injury).

@free_cat wrote:Messi asked to be subbed, he felt a bit of overload (?) in a muscle (no injury).

Probably because he wasn't walking all game

@The Franchise wrote:
Also if we are fair, Cesc needs to stop doing what Alexis does..its getting annoying.

You hate the guy, but let's be unbiased here.
That NEVER was a yellow card. There was some contact and he doesn't even ask for a foul.
Why not comment on Wellington stepping on Cesc?

@free_cat wrote:

@The Franchise wrote:
Also if we are fair, Cesc needs to stop doing what Alexis does..its getting annoying.

You hate the guy, but let's be unbiased here.
That NEVER was a yellow card. There was some contact and he doesn't even ask for a foul.
Why not comment on Wellington stepping on Cesc?

No, it wasnt a yellow, but he didnt have to go down I know that for sure. My problem in that play was he went down far too easily, he could of kept his feet.

He also fell down 2, 3 other times at least very easily. He got fouled once and didnt get the call.

Why would I comment on Wellington stepping on him? I was talking only about what Cesc was doing?

But if your asking me I dont think he meant to do it and I dont think Cesc was as hurt as he seemed. I say that mostly because when Malaga was on the counter he was down, but when a goal went in he seemed okay enough to get up and shout at the ref.

There was contact but the way Cesc went down was absolutely exaggerating.
Also Wellington's step on him was unintentional.
IMO.

As usual I missed most of the match cause school but I wanted to say that the amount that I did get to watch in the second half (the last 30 mins) was some beautiful free flowing football. Great stuff. Alves looked great and everybody had some nice touches.

Agreed with Dani on the LW issue.

Not only has our RW been absent all season (Pedro doing well recently though), now we have no LW.

Yes, I should also mention Pedro was good in my opinion. He balanced his role well I felt.

Other games, he was coming to the ball, running on counters, but when we were in their final third, not really getting in behind.

I felt he got in behind a little more today.

@CBarca wrote:

Not only has our RW been absent all season (Pedro doing well recently though)

Still insisting in this?

Pedro is not playing any better than he did the first 20 games of the season. He is just scoring goals. He is playing as good as before.

Seeing the replay of Wellington's step on Cesc, it looks completely intentional. He could easily have avoided it and Wellington is known to do this kind of stuff.

I can only judge what I saw on the one replay, looked like an accident to me.

But more importantly, still think Cesc milked it, just like the yellow he got.

@The Franchise wrote:I can only judge what I saw on the one replay, looked like an accident to me.

But more importantly, still think Cesc milked it, just like the yellow he got.

was as intentional as Pepe stomping on Messi
both looked down at the area they are going to step on, and pressed harder.