liga : FCB-Racing , Saturday, 20 Feb (20.00)

[mhrelayyan]

After the loss last week we need to win this game with style to keep the gap at least with real , the good news is that marquez and pique are back from suspension , yaya is back in training and he might be ready but this is not confirmed yet , the good news too is the racing will be missing 5 key players in this match for suspension too , i think pep will use this formation :
vv
puyol pique milito maxwell
marquez iniesta jonathan
messi ibra pedro

[Barcelinha]

isn't the suspension 2 games, or have i miscalculated :ninja

[mhrelayyan]

isn't the suspension 2 games, or have i miscalculated :ninja
no they got 1 match suspension only :cool

[Barcelinha]

awesome then :dk

3-0 if not more.

[mhrelayyan]

awesome then :dk

3-0 if not more.

2-0 or 3-0 is enough , dont forget we have a CL match next week .

[Barcelinha]

i want REVENGE!!!!! :devil

good results bring in more good results :drinkbeer

[mhrelayyan]

i want REVENGE!!!!! :devil

good results bring in more good results :drinkbeer
REVENGE from what ?? the important is that they dont park the bus since this will make it tough.

[El Capitan]

Perfect team we could be playing at this point, we should win but they'll be up for it.

Just one thing....so are we never going to let Henry start again?? :laugh


Marquez as DM I think would be a good idea, he's done it before when needed

[Stephh<3]

i'm expecting a great game! and remember it'll be Iniesta's 300th official game, i hope he scores!! =]

[Stephh<3]

it will also be guardiola's 100th official game coaching barcelonaaa! :D

[C]

absolute must win. and we should win. 4-1

[Barcelinha]

clean sheet!!!!

[mhrelayyan]

clean sheet!!!!

then 3-0 is ok with me :cool

[El Capitan]

2-0 :drinkbeer

[Stephh<3]

4-0 [:

[mhrelayyan]

the good news is the yaya is fit to play this match , chygry too.

[ReMad]

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8646/barcelonap.pnghttp://img251.imageshack.us/img251/6809/vs1gp0.gifhttp://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8239/1728.png

FC Barcelona vs Racing Santander

La Liga 09/10 R23 Day 23
Saturday February 20, 2010 19 GMT
Camp Nou


Match Preview

La Blaugrana will have to bounce back from their first Primera Division defeat of the season when they tackle los Racinguistas on Saturday evening.

Beatable

Defeats for Barcelona are rare, particularly in La Primera Division, but Pep Guardiola’s side would suffer their first loss of a record breaking season against Atletico Madrid last weekend. The entertaining 2-1 reverse signalled the end of a record breaking 21-match unbeaten sequence for la Blaugrana.

Tormented by injury and suspension problems in their defence, Barca would have been aware that a trip to the Vicente Calderon was fraught with danger. When they went two goals behind relatively early in the first half, Guardiola cut almost a resigned figure on the bench.

“We were not quite right and Atletico played well, although I do not have too much criticism for my team,” the coach said of his side’s strangely flat performance after the game. “We're always prepared for a defeat. It's the first of the season but we can take positives from it.”

Of course, defeat cut the Blaugrana’s lead at the summit of La Liga to just two points, with Real Madrid having continued their fine winning streak 24 hours earlier. Now Barca can take the initiative once more, pushing five points clear if they can overcome the obstacle placed in front of them this Saturday against Racing Santander.

Injury problems continue to hamper the Camp Nou outfit’s efforts, with Xavi and Seydou Keita both picking up problems over the course of the last seven days, simply heightening the level of difficulty this game possesses.

Backs To The Wall

Miguel Angel Portugal took over struggling Racing Santander in mid-November when the club was starting to struggle to tread water in La Primer. After a couple of defeats initially, the coach led los Racinguistas on a strong run of four wins from five, though there are signs that the honeymoon period of the 54-year-old is starting to end.

A run of one win in five in league play was marginally disappointing, though the team could certainly be mitigated by their strong Copa del Rey run. However, the club’s cup exploits were brought to an abrupt halt away to Atletico Madrid, where they were hammered 4-0. That effectively nullified their second leg tie, which ended in favour of the Cantabrians but not nearly emphatically enough to threaten progress to the final.

Back in the league, the hangover from the Copa defeat seemed to be evident last weekend. Though Malaga are an improving side, there was little to suggest that they would hammer los Verdiblancos 3-0 in northern Spain.

One venue that Portugal wouldn’t want his side to be travelling to after such a defeat would be Camp Nou, even with Barca badly depleted. The Catalans have already smashed Racing 4-1 this term, with three goals in the first half hour totally killing the tie.

The northerners will aim to at least be more competitive this time around, though recent form suggests they may well toil.

Source (http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2010/02/19/1797193/la-liga-preview-barcelona-racing-santander)


Expected Lineups

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4922/33334777.jpg


Teams News


Barcelona Coach Pep Guardiola Defends Thierry Henry
Portsmouth's Nadir Belhadj: I Hope For An Offer From Barcelona
World Cup 2010: Antonio Cassano Is Like Lionel Messi & Marcello Lippi Should Pick Him - Italian Actor Paolo Villaggio
Quotes Of The Week: Blame & Shame In The Beautiful Game
Barcelona Boss Pep Guardiola Hopes To Coach Spain One Day
El Clasico Will Be Key To La Liga Title Race – Former Real Madrid Defender Ivan Helguera
Atletico Madrid's Sergio Asenjo In Barcelona's Sights - Report
Barcelona's Gerard Pique: The Team Is Full Of Confidence
Spanish Inquisition: Can A Beaten, Bruised & Battered Barcelona Still Play Beethoven To Stuttgart In The Champions League?
Barcelona's Yaya Toure And Dmytro Chygrynskiy Back In Full Training
Barcelona Interested In Manchester United's John O'Shea - Report
Galatasaray Coach Frank Rijkaard Praises Barcelona's Guardiola & Xavi
Barcelona Star Andres Iniesta Tells Of 'Half Interest' From Real Madrid
Barcelona Playmaker Xavi Reveals He Considered Leaving The Club
Bayern Munich's Performance In The Champions League Will Determine Franck Ribery's Decision To Stay - Report
Barcelona's Rafael Marquez Could Be Used In Midfield - Report
Barcelona Media Speculate Over €50 Million Move For Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas
Wayne Rooney Is Like Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi - Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson
Barcelona's Sergi Busquets: La Liga Will Be Decided In The Bernabeu
Barcelona's Dani Alves, Yaya Toure And Dmytro Chygrynskiy Return To Training
I Miss Barcelona, But I Can Win The Champions League With Inter - Samuel Eto'o
Barcelona Tracking Ajax Defender Jan Vertonghen - Report
Barcelona Attacker Lionel Messi Is Football's Biggest Star - UEFA President Michel Platini


Source (http://www.goal.com/en/match/36845/barcelona-vs-racing/team-news/1)

[Stephh<3]

lineup: Valdés, Puyol, Piqué, Márquez, Maxwell; Iniesta, Touré, Busquets; Messi, Bojan & Henry.

[Barcelinha]

Bojan starting :o :D

i hope he scores, he must!! the lineup looks so odd without Xavi. :(

[Loves To Spooge]

Bojan, god help us.

I really hope he does well but ive got a bad feeling

[Loves To Spooge]

ibra must be injured too?

not in the squad atall

[Stephh<3]

really? i though he was in the bench

[Barcelinha]

so, LTS, did Bojan rob you and your family and set your house on fire too? it seems quite personal :handbags

[Loves To Spooge]

so, LTS, did Bojan rob you and your family and set your house on fire too? it seems quite personal :handbags

nah, im just looking at it objectively and not cutting him a break because i fancy him.

thanks for asking

[Supremacia]

Canales to score a couple of golazos and show the World why we signed him up. :cool

[Barcelinha]

nah, im just looking at it objectively and not cutting him a break because i fancy him.

thanks for asking
objectively this is a game with racing. Bojan can start, especially if there's no Zlatan.

his talent is obvious to everyone here, except you, so get off your sexist high horse.

[Loves To Spooge]

objectively this is a game with racing. Bojan can start, especially if there's no Zlatan.

his talent is obvious to everyone here, except you, so get off your sexist high horse.

im sexist and racist now :laugh

i didnt say he doesnt have talent, i just dont trust him to lead the line and hes hardly played so isnt exactly in great shape.

another who loves to jump to conclusions

[Stephh<3]

goallllll!!!!! ahhhh iniestaaaa! i love himmm! <3 1-0!!!

[Sparky]

Goal goal goal goal!!!

[Sparky]

Messi is such a delight to watch, for someone so small he has such a powerful shot.

[ReMad]

First Goal for Barcelona by Iniesta 7
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608164)

[Stephh<3]

omg iniestaaaa! :(

[Stephh<3]

goallll!! henryy (: 2-0

[Stephh<3]

goalll!! rafaaaa!! 3-0

[Sparky]

Good game this. All very good goals, or should I say finishes.

[ReMad]

Danger Shots by Messi 16 & Bojan 23
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608200)


Second Goal for Barcelona by Henry from a Free Kick 29
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608222)


Third Goal for Barcelona by Marquez from a Free Kick 34
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608234)

[Barcelinha]

match thread: a barca fan and a madridista spam about god knows what, [posts will be deleted when i have time] and a united fan is commenting the game.

ffs.

anyway, the game so far illustrates perfectly the absences. i.e. 1 goal started by long ball from the Defense, the other 2 were set pieces.

Xavi is missed, and yet we're managing. :D quite well at 3-0 :laugh the power of Barca.

random comment 1: Racing's kit :laugh they've copied Two-face from Batman or what :laugh

random comment 2: Both Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia on the pitch :o :laugh, just brilliant. unfortunately young Skywalker has already been corrupted by the dark side :(

[Sparky]

match thread: a barca fan and a madridista spam about god knows what, [posts will be deleted when i have time] and a united fan is commenting the game.

ffs.


Should I not be here? :laugh

[Barcelinha]

Should I not be here? :laugh
ahaha, nah, thanks for posting, :D in fact, thanks for trying to keep it on topic.

ain't our best game, despite the scoreline. no midfield dominance.

[Sparky]

ahaha, nah, thanks for posting, :D in fact, thanks for trying to keep it on topic.

ain't our best game, despite the scoreline. no midfield dominance.

What is up with Xavi?

[Barcelinha]

injured for about 2 weeks :(

[Sparky]

Does give Iniesta more freedom with Xavi not there, but that doesn't mean you want Xavi on the sidelines :laugh

[ReMad]

First Half Highlights : Barcelona 2-0 Racing Santander
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608336)

[Stephh<3]

hahahaha sergio canales did nothing. (:

[Sparky]

4-0, good work from Messi.

[Stephh<3]

goall!! thiagoooo! (: 4-0

[ReMad]

Fourth Goal for Barcelona bt Tiago 83
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608518)

[Stephh<3]

game overr! 4-0! great game [:

[Dragonlord]

iniesta MOTM, in the absence of xavi, bossed the midfield as well as prompting attacks. fabulous performance.

[Barcelinha]

ahah that was your prediction ;)

awesome game. not our best, but definitely spirit lifting.

[Stephh<3]

ahahaha it was my prediction :)

[Barcelinha]

Thiago totally stole Bojan's goal btw :censored :laugh

[ReMad]

Second Half Highlights : Barcelona 4-0 Racing Santander
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608581)


Full Match Highlights : Barcelona 4-0 Racing Santander
Click Here for Video (http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3608661)

[mhrelayyan]

great to see iniesta score in his 300 match with barca and he was the man of the match , good to see henry score although the wall was opened to let him score it seems , the great FK was from marquez who also assisted iniesta goal , it seems pep wanted to win with the least effort , this is why i wanted pep to let messi rest and be subbed since i was afraid when he looked at his legs but thank god he was ok , good to see barca back at 5 point gap , hope for a miracle from villareal tonight.

[Stephh<3]

i didn't know it was iniesta first time scoring since his goal against chelsea

btw i'm so proud of him, he's the best

[mrgrumble]

I thought Iniesta was outstanding last night, world class performance

[Culé]

Canales to score a couple of golazos and show the World why we signed him up. :cool


now we know why u signed him......the crowed reacted perfectly when he had the ball,good to know what is instore for him in future

[Barcelinha]

it's not like he'll ever get to play for Madrid, lol not at their big buys rate :laugh