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If the world came to a stop last week at Old Trafford, it will at least pause again Tuesday at the Nou Camp. No matter the outcome, one of Europe's most successful clubs will be out of the UEFA Champions League early.
Mighty Barcelona are on the ropes, and only an epic remontada will make it right. AC Milan, meanwhile, are on the verge of producing a stunning success in a season that previously seemed destined for mediocrity.
Three weeks ago, Milan stunned Barcelona with a pitch-perfect defensive performance at the San Siro,
deservedly winning 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League Round
of 16 tie. The second leg is scheduled for Tuesday (3:45 p.m. ET, Fox
Soccer), and it is without doubt the most anticipated European match of
the week.
With their European season at stake, Barcelona's players have spoken extensively about producing a remontada,
or comeback, against Milan. Champions League winners in 2009 and 2011,
Barcelona have reached at least the semifinals of the competition every
season since 2007-08.
"This generation (of Barcelona players) hasn't made a comeback and we'd like to," said midfielder Xavi Hernandez (via FCBarcelonaYouTube). Midfielder Andres Iniesta said he would put his "hand in a fire to get through (to the quarterfinals)."
Added defender Javier Mascherano: "If we change things, I'm sure we'll turn it around."
It won't be easy, even with Barcelona enjoying home-field advantage at the Nou Camp. After selling star forward ZlatanIbrahimovic and defender Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Milan started the season in poor form before gaining momentum lately.
Then, as B/R's Sam Tigheoutlined
expertly in his post-match analysis, Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri
produced a brilliant defensive plan in the first leg against Barcelona.
The plan played out in three phases.
Milan's defensive setup for the first 57 minutes of the first leg against Barcelona. Courtesy of Sam Tighe.
First, Milan adopted a defense-first posture akin to the one Chelsea used successfully against Barcelona in last season's semifinals. Central defenders Philippe Mexes and Cristian Zapata sat deep and kept their full-backs tight in a flat back-line.
Massimo Ambrosini, Riccardo Montolivo and SulleyMuntari formed what Tighe called a "triple midfield anchor," with Muntari shadowing Barca playmaker Xaxi Hernandez around the pitch.
Claudio Villa/Getty Images
In the second phase, after Milan took the lead, the Rossoneri actually advanced their collective position up the pitch, opening space between the defense and midfield.
In
the third phase, after Milan scored their second goal, the entire team
pressured Barcelona as the visitors searched in vain for a potentially
tie-altering consolation strike. Milan's wingers sprinted into central
areas to harry Xavi and Sergio Busquets as defenders filled in gaps effectively.
The plan worked remarkably well, but Milan also benefited from a sub-par game from superstar forward Lionel Messi. The four-time defending Ballond'Or winner scored at the weekend as Barcelona won 2-0 at home to Deportivo La Coruña, and more will be expected from the Argentine on Tuesday. Barca's clean sheet against Deportivo snapped a 13-match run of conceding at least one goal. Defender Gerard Pique hinted that a repeat performance is the goal Tuesday as Barca try to win for manager Tito Vilanova, who is receiving treatment for throat cancer in New York.
Milan won 2-0 at Genoa on Friday.
"We come back to the Camp Nou two goals down and we have to fight back," said Pique (via FCBarcelona.com). "We’ll attack from the off—which is our way of doing things—and we hope to win 3-0.”
Beyond Milan's tactics, Barcelona also face an uphill fight against history. According to Reuters (via The Independent), no Champions League team has reversed a first-leg deficit of two goals or more without scoring an away goal. And as Sid Lowe writes for The Guardian, it's Real Madrid rather than Barcelona who have a history of second-leg comebacks
Barca and Milan played twice at the Nou
Camp last season. The teams drew 2-2 in a Champions League group-stage
match before Barcelona won 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Milan's only win at
Barcelona was a 2-0 decision in September 2000 (via SoccerBase).
In team news, Milan forward GiampaoloPazzini will not play after suffering a bruised right leg (via Associated Press). Another forward, Mario Balotelli, remains cup-tied to Manchester City. For Barcelona, Xavi returned to training last week following a thigh injury (via Sky Sports) but did not play against Deportivo.
Four clubs—Juventus, Borussia Dortmund,
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain—have already qualified for the
quarterfinals. To join them, Barcelona will need a historic comeback and
a new plan against Milan's stingy defense.
Barcelona’s defeats against Milan and Real Madrid have called into
question the tactics employed and so now here at barcelonafans we look
at some of the alternatives for the return leg against the Italians.
David Villa or Cesc Fabregas – Cesc was preferred in the first leg as
has been the case in the big matches this season but the tactic didn’t
work as the team needed a greater cutting edge against a well-organised
Milan. It led to Barca endelessly passing the ball around the middle of
the pitch and making little headway. While Iniesta is extremely talented
there is no doubt he is more effective in midfield. Still playing Villa
against Madrid didn’t work.
Defence of three or four – Another option is to have a three man
defence of Puyol, Pique and Alba particularly with Milan likely to
defend deeply and if Alves plays then he could be on the right wing in a
more advanced position. It appears clear that Barca have lost some of their rhythm and
workrate under Jordi Roura and this has led to double training sessions
this week in the buildup for the Milan game.
After a record-breaking start to the season Barcelona have suffered a
dip in form and they face a stern test of their Champions League
credentials against AC Milan on Tuesday night as they look to overturn a
2-0 first leg defeat to progress to the quarter-finals.
Barca only dropped two points from their first 19 games in la liga to
open up a sizeable lead at the top of the table but in the last two
months chinks have started to show in their armoury, particularly in
defence where they hadn’t kept a clean sheet in 13 games in all
competitions until Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Deportivo la Coruna.
Much of the problem has been caused by a failure to pressure with the
same intent up the pitch starting with the forwards which has allowed
the opposition to have more time on the ball and expose their defensive
flaws which was shown clearly in the first leg at the San Siro.
They also looked ragged and without ideas in the King’s Cup defeat by
Real Madrid and while it could be argued that it is logical for a team
to drop their form during the course of the season it has coincided with
the absence of coach Tito Vilanova who has been receiving cancer
treatment in New York.
Except for one game against Espanyol in early January it has been
assistant coach Jordi Roura who has been leading the team and although
he is in close contact with Vilanova it appears as though he lacks the
same discipline and strength of character to motivate the players.
He is though firm in his mind what the team needs to do against Milan.
“It is an important game and the one that we have been focusing on.
We are clear about how we are going to approach it. We know how Milan
are going to play and how we will do ourselves. I don’t think there is a
problem psychologically and we are all very much up for Tuesday’s
game,” said Roura after the Deportivo game.
Roura rested a number of players against Depor who will start against
Milan including Lionel Messi and again Barca lacked their typical slick
passing with two many errors and Messi needed to come on to score the
second and secure the win in the second half.
“We need to do better in front of goal but we did have intensity. At 1-0
anything can happen but we are happy with the result and the league is
key for us,” said Roura.
“Each competition is different and you have to appreciate that when we
now look at the Champions League but still it is best to approach it
with a win where we worked hard and created chances, while importantly
not conceding.
“We have been working on pressuring more and I think we are in good form
and in conditions to achieve our aim. We will give everything to turn
the game around. I’ve seen the players and they will do everything
humanly possible.”
Contrastingly Milan are going through their best form of the season and warmed up for the game with a 2-0 win away to Genoa.
Mario Balotelli has given them greater potency in attack although he is
not eligible in Europe and they are also without Giampaolo Pazzini who
was injured in the Genoa match.
“We have belief in ourselves and that we can qualify for the next round.
It won’t be an easy game and it is going to be quite defensive but we
will also try and play our football as we know that a goal will make it
even harder for them,” said midfielder Mathieu Flamini.
One
massive night of Champions League football awaits Camp Nou as Barça try
to overcome AC Milan’s 2-0 advantage taken from the first leg at the
San Siro three weeks ago. Xavi Hernandez looks set to return to Barça’s
midfield though there has been much debate about which starting XI
should be used to face a Milan team that is unbeaten in Serie A in 2013.
Milan arrive without Pazzini who left Puyol with a splitting headache
after the first leg and reports suggest that Max Allegri will play a
4-5-1 system with just Stephan El-Shaawary as a lone forward. Antonio
Nocerino could return to bolster the midfield while Kevin-Prince Boateng
could be asked to play a deeper role. Nocerino, Boateng and Ambrosini
were all rested for Milan’s 0-2 win at Genoa on Friday when the
Rossoneri demonstrated their strength in defence, holding out with ten
men for the last twenty five minutes after Kevin Constant was sent off. Last
season the two sides met at the quarter-final stage and after a 0-0
draw in the first leg in Italy, Barça went through with a 3-1 win at Camp Nou.
For that game Pep Guardiola began with a 3-4-3 formation and I have to
admit that before Barça’s 2-0 win over Deportivo on Saturday I had been
seduced by the idea of starting against Milan again with a defence of
three. We may not have used the 3-4-3 formation much this season but
last season we used it a lot and our players should be able to adapt.
The 3-4-3 formation is especially suited to Cesc Fabregas and I saw us
playing with two wide forwards, Messi and Cesc combining through the
middle, with Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets making up the midfield.
However, Fabregas’s recent run of form has made me doubt. The fact
that he played with an injury against Milan and Madrid may be some
excuse for his below-par performances, but against Depor he was again
off the pace, and following his press conference last Thursday when he
spoke of the team’s situation and felt the need to defend himself, I get
the impression that he is feeling the pressure. For this reason I have
gone back to the idea of a 4-3-3 with a midfield three of Xavi, Busquets
and Iniesta. The question then is: who should play up front with Leo
Messi?
Alexis has suffered recently from a drop in confidence but his
performance against Depor suggests he is at last recovering his form. I
have never doubted his quality as a player and always felt his problems
were in his head. He will be boosted by his goal on Saturday and I
believe he should start against Milan.
The other forward position will then be a choice between Tello, David
Villa and Pedro. Villa is the best finisher of the three but he is
clearly not in his best moment. Tello was impressive in the first half
against Depor and he is certainly the most direct at taking on his man.
My only problem with Tello is his ability to last 90 minutes and on
Saturday he was not so effective in the second half. I have not been too
impressed with Pedro recently but he was rested on Saturday with the
intention of having him at his best. I think he’ll get the other
forward’s slot with Villa and Tello being used as subs for the last half
hour depending on how the game is going.
It’s never going to be easy to break down a well organised Italian
defence, however fancy our quick one-twos may be. Perhaps the best way
to surprise them is to be first to any rebounds or half-clearances and
for this we will need a constant intense pressing. Alexis and Pedro are
probably the most insistent of our forwards in chasing down defenders,
and I think Messi should be asked to increase his work in this aspect
for this game. When we have the ball we need to keep it moving as
quickly as possible, play less horizontally and try to get more balls
into the danger zone.
The players will need to avoid getting too desperate as we have seen
in recent years against Inter and Chelsea that sometimes the enormity of
the occasion can get the better of them. As fans, whoever plays, we
must have faith. They may not win everything but this group of players
has achieved so much and proved itself on countless occasions. Here’s to
another fantastic night to be remembered for years to come.
Arsenal are preparing to make a €10m bid for Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The Blaugrana shot-stopper will not extend his contract at the club
which ends in 2014 – which means Tito Vilanova's side will look to sell
in the summer rather than let him leave on a free next season.
Arsene Wenger is a keen admirer of the 31-year-old and is using former
striker and one-time teammate of Valdes, Thierry Henry, to try and
persuade him to come to north London.
Just when you thought that Lionel Messi couldn't get any better, couldn't be any more prolific and couldn't break any more records—he went one better, again.
Like so many times throughout his career when the expectations on Messi
seemed to have reached their peak, the Argentinian international
somehow managed to better his previous marks and shatter those
expectations with a new reality as to what he can do on a football
pitch.
According to Barcelona's Twitter account, the 25-year-old has broken an 80-year-old record by scoring in his 17th successive La Liga game for Barca—netting a game-sealing goal off the bench for the Catalan club in their 2-0 win over last-placed Deportivo. BBC Sport also shared insight on the new "record" that Messi has achieved, and the incredible significance behind just how prolific he is in front of goal:
Lionel Messi scored in his 17th successive La Liga game, breaking a world record which has stood since the 1930s, according to Barcelona. Barca said Messi had beaten Pole Teodor Pewterek's 1937-38 record of scoring in 16 straight games for RuchChorzow. There was no immediate confirmation of Barcelona's claim by world governing body FIFA.
Messi
has now scored 52 goals in all competitions this season—a mark that
seems incredible given how far ahead he is of other players around the
world.
He's 14 goals clear of second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo, 18 goals clear of the EPL's top scorer in Luis Suarez and over 20 clear of any other league's best. Messi is simply in rare touch—even for him—and as a result, it will set up for an absolutely thrilling matchup against AC Milan during the week. For in their Champions League match, with the odds seemingly stacked against them, Messi will no doubt fire for La Blaugrana.
Down
a two-goal margin, Barcelona will be looking to attack from the opening
whistle—even more so than they already do. The Catalan club will likely
be direct and threatening, and will be doing everything they can to get
attempts on goal and get the ball into the box.
Which will suit Messi even more.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Considering that he's netted as many goals as he has
with Barcelona sputtering both domestically and throughout Europe;
imagine what he can do with the direct nature of Barca's attack in this one. It's almost a scary thought to consider, but Messi could be even more lethal for the La Liga leaders here than he has done in arguably any other game at all this season.
Can
he lead the Spanish heavyweights back from the brink of defeat and
somehow keep their Champions League fairytale alive in 2013? Or will the
deficit and the defeat suffered back at the San Siro prove to be too much to overcome? Will Messi
find his goal-scoring form again in Europe, or will his recent tear in
La Liga fail to correlate with international success also?
They're all big questions and ones that we'll find the answers to soon enough, when Milan walk out at the Nou Camp and try to hold out Barcelona this week.
But either way—win or lose—Messi will be firing once more. The direct nature of Barca's attack suggests it, and his recent goal-scoring form confirms it.
Which could make for a very long 90 minutes if you're a Milan fan.
Will Lionel Messi score and bring Barcelona back against Milan?
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times at Old
Trafford on Sunday. For both Manchester United and Chelsea, that's how
they'll feel about their FA Cup clash.
The
Red Devils completely dominated in the first half and took a 2-0 lead
early on. Chelsea played like a team possessed in the second half,
however, and roared back to tie the game (and nearly won it).
In the end, the game ended 2-2 in an exhilarating match that lived up to the hype generated by these two superpowers.
Manchester
United struck first in this game, as Javier Hernandez headed home the
game's first goal in the fifth minute. It came off a brilliant pass from
Michael Carrick, whose lob into the box was perfectly played over
keeper Petr Cech by El Chicharito.
The Red Devils wouldn't wait long to double their lead.
After
Victor Moses fouled Nani on the United counter-attack, Wayne Rooney
stepped up to take a free kick from just outside and to the left of the
Chelsea box. His curling effort to the far post didn't find the head of a
teammate, but it continued into the net, as Cech anticipated a header.
Just 12 minutes into the game, United had a 2-0 lead.
United
continued to push in the first half. Nani's brilliant cross into the
box would be chipped just over the bar by Hernandez, and Rooney later
sent another cross directly at Cech, who then made a second brilliant
save after defender David Luiz inexplicably headed the ball back toward
goal.
United had Chelsea on the ropes, and only 25 minutes had
passed in the contest. Chelsea created a few opportunities throughout
the half but lacked the final touch needed to score.
The second
half continued in the same vein as the end of the first half, with
Chelsea ratcheting up the pressure but unable to find that last pass or
shot to beat United—at least until Eden Hazard entered the game.
The
star winger cut the lead in half on an absolutely brilliant shot from
outside the box that curled and dipped above keeper David de Gea, who
never had a chance. Suddenly, Chelsea had hope.
And Chelsea wasn't done.
In
the 68th minute, Demba Ba held up the ball on the counter and found
Oscar streaking down the middle of the field. The young Brazilian then
found Ramires tearing down the right side, and Ramires slotted home the
game-tying shot after taking a deft touch to put the ball on his left
foot. Just like that, a game completely dominated by Manchester United early on was all tied up.
Both
teams pressured the opposing goal down the stretch, and de Gea saved
the game for Manchester United in the 90th minute. Juan Mata deftly
controlled a long pass at the edge of the box, turned in past the
defense and ripped a shot at goal, which de Gea just deflected wide.
The
game justifiably ended in a 2-2 tie, with both teams feeling as though
they should have won but likely relieved that they didn't lose. The
replay will now head back to Stamford Bridge.
Grades Nani, Manchester United: A-
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Nani was excellent in this game, regularly pressuring
the Chelsea defense down the wing and peppering the box with solid
crosses. His run at Moses set up the Rooney goal, and he was active
throughout. The man thought to be a goner after the year played very
well in this one.
Eden Hazard, Chelsea: A
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Hazard's brilliant goal saved this game for a Chelsea
side that looked overmatched for much of the first half. You could make
the argument that Hazard should have started the game over Oscar, but
his substitution in the second half was timely, and his impact was
almost immediately felt.
Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United: A
Demba
Ba will have nightmares about Ferdinand after this game. The wily
defender totally won his battle with the Chelsea striker, winning back
contested balls and keeping Ba from scoring chances throughout this
match. United wasn't nearly as solid in the second half, but Ferdinand
played a very solid match.
Frank Lampard, Chelsea: C
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Lampard just wasn't the right man for the job today. He
left the Blues defense vulnerable, he wasn't able
to facilitate scoring opportunities and Chelsea simply looked a far
better side after he was subbed out in the second half. Chelsea remains a
team without a top starting 11—and Lampard has played very well this
year—but on Sunday he was more hindrance than help for the Blues.
Javier Hernandez, Manchester United: A-
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
He didn't last the whole game, but there wasn't a more
dangerous player in the first half than El Chicharito. His runs were
piercing, his finish on the goal was pure brilliance and the Chelsea
back line didn't have an answer for him in the first half.
Stop Gareth Bale, and Liverpool will stop Spurs, or so the headlines from the tabloids proclaimed. As pre-match
pep talk, it settled neatly on a problem that has befuddled many a
defense in recent months. But it also overlooked a couple vital points,
both of which proved pivotal Sunday afternoon at Anfield.
First,
does it qualify as stopping Bale when the Welshman doesn't score but
"only" sets up two goals? And second, who said Bale was the only
important player in the match?
With all the attention focused
lately on Bale's rise to stardom, it was almost possible to forget about
Luis Suarez of Liverpool. But the Premier League's leading scorer
scored another Sunday, his 22nd of the season and seventh in four
outings in all competitions. Thanks in large part to his contributions,
Liverpool won the match.
Suarez also won the penalty that decided
the result in a thrilling if sloppy match that saw the Reds succeed
where so many have failed in recent weeks. Liverpool led, then trailed,
then came from behind to hand Tottenham a 3-2 loss, ending Spurs' run of
just one defeat in all competitions since Dec. 9.
In victory, Liverpool moved onto 45 points, level with Everton but ahead of their Merseyside
rivals on goal difference. A top-four place and Champions League
football remain seven points distant, but Brendan Rodgers now has his
first three-match winning streak in his first season at Anfield.
Considering
Spurs' recent form, much from Sunday's result might surprise. Most
unexpected of all, however, is this: While Tottenham lost, they did so
with Bale playing well. In other words, Liverpool stopped Spurs but not
because they could stop Bale.
Michael Regan/Getty Images
The 23-year-old midfielder had been in astonishing goal-scoring
form of late, with 10 goals in his last eight appearances in all
competitions. He didn't score Sunday, and he'll be credited with only
one assist, but Bale was heavily involved in both of Tottenham's goals.The
first, which canceled out Suarez's stylish opener, came from Bale's
cross from the right flank. His curling, left-footed pass found Jan Vertonghen, who headed Spurs level on the stroke of halftime.
Bale
then helped put Spurs ahead early in the second half. This time a free
kick, again from the right, troubled Liverpool's defense along with
Michael Dawson's harrying presence. The ball landed for Vertonghen, who paused with a striker's instinct and waited for the right moment to slam home a left-footed drive.
Gareth Bale's performance levels against Liverpool. Notice the
upswing on either side of halftime, when Spurs overturned a 1-0 deficit.
Image and stats via Squawka.com.
So while Bale went scoreless in the match, one could wonder
whether Bale now needs to score in order to hurt his opponents. In his
new advanced, free role in the Tottenham attack, his influence reaches
throughout this Spurs side and alters the entire team's performance.
Near the end of the first half, when his team trailed by a goal, Bale
wielded his powers more effectively than any other player on the pitch.But for all of Bale's influence, Suarez was at times perhaps just as important for Liverpool.
Luis Suarez's performance data against Tottenham. Notice the sharp
rise near his goal (21') and the slight uptick around the penalty
decision (82'). Stats and image via Squawka.com.
The mercurial Uruguayan put the Reds ahead with a typically
expert near-post finish in the 21st minute and nearly set up another six
minutes later. After falling behind to Vertonghen's
second, Liverpool equalized through Stewart Downing after a
fortuitously poor back-pass and then grabbed the winner through captain
Steven Gerrard's powerful penalty.
Almost inevitably, Suarez was the man responsible for the
latter. Seizing on another defensive miscue—this time a poor clearance
by Jermain Defoe—Suarez took control of the ball in the box and put
himself in position to win a penalty with Benoit Assou-Ekotto's clumsy challenge.
As both the stats (see the graphs above) and the storylines
will show, both Suarez and Bale raised their level of play when their
teams had their separate moments of ascendancy. Such a coincidence is
hardly accidental, but rather the hallmarks of influential and important
players.
Bale hit perhaps greater heights, but if anything, Suarez saved the most crucial contributions for the most important times.
When
the end-of-season individual awards go out at the end of the season,
both Suarez and Bale will rank among the favorites for hardware.
Sunday's match might not have settled any scores in the race for
personal accolades, but it should serve as a powerful reminder that
Suarez and Bale are among the best the Premier League has to offer at
the moment.
Milan's defensive setup for the first 57 minutes of the first leg against Barcelona. Courtesy of Sam Tighe.
Claudio Villa/Getty Images
Barcelona’s defeats against Milan and Real Madrid have called into
question the tactics employed and so now here at barcelonafans we look
at some of the alternatives for the return leg against the Italians.
One
massive night of Champions League football awaits Camp Nou as Barça try
to overcome AC Milan’s 2-0 advantage taken from the first leg at the
San Siro three weeks ago. Xavi Hernandez looks set to return to Barça’s
midfield though there has been much debate about which starting XI
should be used to face a Milan team that is unbeaten in Serie A in 2013.
Last
season the two sides met at the quarter-final stage and after a 0-0
draw in the first leg in Italy, Barça went through with a 3-1 win at Camp Nou.
For that game Pep Guardiola began with a 3-4-3 formation and I have to
admit that before Barça’s 2-0 win over Deportivo on Saturday I had been
seduced by the idea of starting against Milan again with a defence of
three. We may not have used the 3-4-3 formation much this season but
last season we used it a lot and our players should be able to adapt.
The 3-4-3 formation is especially suited to Cesc Fabregas and I saw us
playing with two wide forwards, Messi and Cesc combining through the
middle, with Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets making up the midfield.
David Ramos/Getty Images
David Ramos/Getty Images
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Michael Regan/Getty Images
Gareth Bale's performance levels against Liverpool. Notice the
upswing on either side of halftime, when Spurs overturned a 1-0 deficit.
Image and stats via Squawka.com.
Luis Suarez's performance data against Tottenham. Notice the sharp
rise near his goal (21') and the slight uptick around the penalty
decision (82'). Stats and image via Squawka.com.
