El Classico Night

With Real Madrid securing their League Title last week, many believe today's Classico has lost his sheen. But Spanish press will not allow such a scenario, constantly drumming out the humiliation to be suffered by Barcelona players when they have to applaud the champions. This was a title which Barcelona lost rather than Madrid won. In the mid season, this game was build up as the one which will decide the Champion, but only for Barcelona to let go all the chances Madrid has placed before them. Barcelona still could hurt Madrid by spoiling their perfect night. This is a time for Barcelona players to show some respect to Rijkaard, who very probably would be managing his last El Classico. No Barcelona manager has been successful as Rijkaard has been when it comes to Classico at Bernabeu.

The suspension to Deco and Eto could harm Barcelona's chances pretty well. Yaya Toure has been rushed back to the side, which is already missing Iniesta, Milito and Ronaldinho. Barcelona players gave a good account of themselves during the 6-0 thrashing of Valencia. They were passing fluently and that was the reason for the complete domination. But their away form is still a suspect. This match could very well turn out to be a match between Messi and Madrid. Messi has announced his intention to hurt Madrid at Barnabeu. Henry could be expected to start along with Bojan and Messi. After a long time Henry gave a fabulous performance against Valencia. Absence of Deco means Gudjonsen will partner Xavi and Toure in the midfield. The back four will be Abidal, Thuram, Puyol and Zambrotta. Pinto has been added to the squad list and would be lucky to get a taste of Bernabeu ahead of Giovani and Ezquerro.

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Gearing Up for The Theatre of Dreams

Barcelona may repeat the same side which faced Manchester United at Camp Nou for the second leg tie at “The Theatre of Dreams". For once I expected the players who were not involved in the first leg, to push seriously for their inclusion in the match against Deportivo. Nothing of that sort has happened and Rijkaard in all probability start Bojan, Henry and Gudjonsen on the bench. The only change to the side will be Puyol coming back to strengthen the back four instead of Marquez who is suspended. The other players to miss out were Giovanni who is replaced by Edmilson, Ezquerra and Oleguer. Ronaldinho from club's explanation is injured and is automatically not selected. So the final squad list is Valdes, Pinto, Zambrotta, Thuram, Puyol, Milito, Abidal, Sylvinho, Edmilson, Toure Yaya, Deco, Iniesta, Xavi, Gudjohnsen, Bojan, Eto’o, Henry and Messi. Toure missed Sunday’s training session with a heavy bruise to his right ankle, but he is expected to make the line up for Tuesday.

Manchester United also have some injury concerns with Rooney and Vidic, both the players have to be substituted in the match against Chelsea. But both are expected to be fit for Barcelona match. After the first leg tie, everybody will be hoping that the second leg lives up to its expectation. Old Trafford is one of the toughest places to visit and when you consider Manchester United's form this season and Barcelona's this season, this could indeed turn up as a disaster for Barcelona. Amongst all these negatives Barcelona's performance in the first leg gives ample hope. Barcelona might find enough space to exploit at Old Trafford. But Barcelona's weakness in front of the goal could very well turn up to be a decisive factor. Another decisive factor is the lack of pace this season and it will become essential as we may not be that effective at counters. But again this could be the night of Messi, who along with Iniesta could conjure up a very memorable night.

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No Messi to Deportivo

Rijkaard has announced a squad without Messi, Xavi and Eto for the trip to Deportivo La Coruna. Add to this list the already suspended Milito and Iniesta, the entire team looks completely different from the one which did well against Manchester United. Rijkaard might have rested so many regulars with an eye on the second leg Champions League encounter against Manchester United. But Messi did look like a bit short on match practice and could have used to get into full swing in this game. Deco is expected to start in order to get more match practice, but mark my word Toure is expected to start on the bench along with Zambrotta.

In the absence of so many regulars, we can expect Bojan and Giovanni to start along with Henry upfront. Deco, Gudjonsen and Ezquerra might form the midfield. Deportivo is never an easy place to travel, especially taking into the fact that they managed to secure 22 points from their last nine matches. This could be weekend where Real Madrid officially wins the crown. For Barcelona getting a draw out of this match should be a great result. But they should be vary of the second place Villareal, and keep with them in the points tally for the automatic qualification spot.

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A Must win Game; Barcelona vs ManU Preview

Manchester United will be hoping to beat Barcelona in a stadium where the club's only Champions League victory was scripted. Barcelona and United have met seven times before, with both sides claiming two victories each. Barcelona had a torrid season domestically where they are virtually out of the Title race and may have to play the qualifier for the next season Champions league season. More over add to this Barcelona's perennial problem with English opponents - Barcelona have lost eight out of fifteen two legged ties against English opponents, this fact should give additional belief for Manchester United. Manchester United has a squad which is brimming with confidence and has undoubtedly one of the worlds’ inform player in the form of Christiano Ronaldo. Already this has been billed a match between the young guns - Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo. For all these positives, Manchester United's records against Spanish opponents are not that spectacular - they have lost five out of mine two-legged tie against Spanish opponents. They have played 16 time Spanish opponents in Spain, only to win just one. Barcelona's home record against English opponents is impressive, with their only tow losses coming against Liverpool. But one thing Barcelona knows for sure is that they have to win the home leg, as most of their elimination comes after a home defeat.
Thierry Henry has been declared fit for playing in today’s tie. But most probably he might have to start on the bench. Early indications from Rijkaard and all corners, indicate a high chance of Messi returning back to the starting lineup. Has he regained all the match fitness is a question which is yet to be answered? Who will partner Eto and Messi upfront is the serious topic of discussion in every Barcelona blog and forums. But early indication suggest that everyone prefer Iniesta, as I written in my last post Should Henry Start against Manchester United. If Iniesta moves upfront then Gudjonsen might partner Xavi and Toure in the midfield. Toure had an excellent last match, hope he can repeat the same today also. Hope Rijkaard does not rush deco to start has he has no match practice. The other option up front is Iniesta moving to middle with Bojan starting on the left. But looking at the importance of this match, it would be wise to start the youngsters on the bench. Thuram has been included in the squad, but most probably we might find Marquez and Milito partnering again in the centre. For those who are wondering where Puyol is, let me remind you that he remains suspended for this match. Zambrotta is expected to start on the right and Sylvinho is expected to start on the left.

Barcelona forwards will be hoping that lady fortune partner them in this tie. But their defense has to be on their toes against the likes of Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo. Valdez should be on high alert as they will constantly raid the Barcelona goal mouth. Ferguson is expected to pack the midfield with defensive players to cut down Barcelona’s possession.

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Barcelona Getting Ready for Espanyol

Barcelona is getting ready for one of the toughest week. They have to play two quality opponents in a matter of three days. First up will be Espanyol derby when they visit Nou Camp. Barcelona fans and players does not have happy memories of the last time visit of Espanyol, where the last gasp equaliser finished off Barcelona’s La Liga title dreams. This match also serves as an indicator for Barcelona's chances in the Champions League clash with Manchester United. Barcelona has to win this game well to get into the right frame of mind to receive Ferguson's boys on Wednesday.

Rijkaard will be pleased with the fact that he will have a mostly fully fit squad to choose from. Deco has returned from injury and if reports coming are true then he is the most keenest to get back his place. Messi looked good last week even though his finishing and final ball looked doubtful, but with this game he should hit the peak. we cannot afford him to take too many matches to hit the peak. Eto looked like returning back to form; Iniesta, Henry and Marquez all returned back to normal training.

How Rijkaard form the core is very much important. Gudjonsen and Ezquerra looked good in last match and should be given another chance to start with. Ezquerra, unfortunately looks like the least to make in to the team. Mostly he will be replaced by Bojan. But the major question on all Barcelona supporters’ lips will be "Will Messi start the Game?" From a La Liga perspective, Barcelona has to win this game to put some pressure on Madrid. Will putting any pressure on Madrid is useful? I don't know. But the biggest trouble for Rijkaard will be the defense, they looked like too much confused. In my last article I have pointed out the problem with the defense. If they can correct it, it would be easy for them to see off Espanyol. Barcelona has been training at El Montaya instead of La Masia. The last time they did that, it was followed by a victory against Zaragoza.

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Gearing Up for Schalke Challenge

Frank Rijkaard has announced the same squad which failed to find a goal against Getafe last week for today's Champions League match against Schalke. Bojan's goal has given Barcelona a definitive edge but complacency may be the team's biggest enemy. Barcelona has a history of doing well against German opponents especially at Camp Nou; therefore the absence of Messi and Ronaldinho should not affect them that much. Barcelona still has a very good squad to see off the Schalke challenge. Rijkaard as expected will go with an unchanged starting eleven. An under performing Henry can be expected again to be given the nod to start the attack along with Eto and Bojan. Xavi, Iniesta and Toure should be expected to make up the midfield, with Milito and Puyol forming the centre of defense. Sylvinho might be replaced by Abidal and that might be the only change in the side.

Personally I would like to see Rijkaard resting Henry for the time being. It will be a bigger disaster if he decides to start with the two kids along with Eto. First of all they lack the experience to organize attack against such a well organised side. Secondly Giovanni has proven very dangerous when he has been brought in the second half. Rijkaard best option is to start Iniesta on the left upfront with Bojan on the right and Eto in centre of attack. This will help us to fit Gudjonsen in the midfield; Gudjonsen is an English style player and is well equipped than other attacking options to deal with the aerial ball. Be in no doubt that Schalke will be looking to exploit Barcelona's vulnerability against aerial ball. Out of all the options available Gudjonsen is the best to score from corners. If we see the last some matches every team is content in giving Barcelona huge number of corners and we are unable to put one in position. Presence of Gudjonsen will solve that to an extent.

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Ronaldinho To Madrid?

Ronaldinho's brother and agent Roberto Assis has once again admitted the possibility of Ronaldinho moving away from the Catalan club in the summer. He has pointed out the reason for it is the immense criticism Ronaldinho is under for Barcelona's turbulent season. Ronaldinho has a release clause in his contract which is quite high, but Assis is looking into the possibility of invoking article 17 of FIFA's transfer regulation. Milan and Chelsea were reportedly interested in signing him in the past and now also. But the most damaging of revelation is that Assis did not rule out the possibility of Ronaldinho signing for Madrid. Are we going to see a repeat of the Luis Figo episode? These all things are coming at the wrong time, in his recent matches he has given signs of returning slowly but surely back to his self. Now will he be putting the same effort in future matches? Don't know?

Anyway amidst all this the chaos in Spanish Federation is continuing. Till now I don't think a solid decision has been made where Barca will face Betis. Most probably it will be played at the Athletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon stadium. Now will it work in favour of Barcelona, most probably? But then the possibility of Madrid fans filling the stadiums also would be there. But Barcelona’s biggest problem now is the fact that Milito is ruled out for the match. Puyol most probably would not make it. But there is a high chance Ronaldinho comes back to the fold along with Eto and Bojan upfront. Iniesta and Xavi should start in the middle; but should Yaya start especially considering his fitness? With Milito out and Puyol in doubt Rijkaard may still go with him, as he is less error prone than Edmilson. But for what all be the formation and the team structure; it is necessary that Barcelona win this match; especially considering the fact that Madrid will only face Sevilla late on Sunday night. Throughout this season we have seen that when Barcelona has won and put pressure, Madrid always stumbled.

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Real Tough Task at Estadio Mestalla

When Barcelona drew with Valencia in the first leg of the semi final, there was a basic belief among the Barcelona fans that they could surpass Valencia at Estadio Mestalla. Considering Valencia's form throughout the season and the promises Barcelona showed three weeks back, that was a fair assessment. But the last three weeks were the toughest for the fans and players and now does sow some doubt about the possibility of going beyond Valencia. Three weeks back ours was the meanest defense in Europe, but now they are draining goals. Under these circumstances Rijkaard's decision to leave out Ronaldinho may raise some eyebrows. But I tend to agree with Rijkaard, as anyway Ronaldinho was not at his best this season, so it’s better to wait till he gets fit fully. But the most promising of the returnees are Zambrotta and Toure; they should add stability to defense.

For me Barcelona should start with Sylvinho ahead of Abidal as he looks a better option upfront than Abidal. But picking up the midfield might be a little tricky. There is no sense in giving Bojan a start in such a crunch match. Iniesta could start up front on left along with Henry and Eto. This should give us space to include Gudjonsen and Xavi in the midfield. Maybe Rijkaard can think about modifying the formation a bit, not too much. He should go with a 4-3-3 style but with Iniesta playing in the pocket behind the two centre forwards - Eto and Henry. This may resemble a formation like 4-3-1-2. This would be prefect for Iniesta as he don't have to worry about converting too much of chances and do the best he is at - assisting. This will also add stability in the midfield as he can get back much quickly to retrieve the ball. Then in this formation it would be better to have Abidal as the Left back as all the attack is going to be through the centre. Abidal, in this case will give more protective cover than Sylvinho. Secondly such a formation will see Gudjonsen playing a much better part as he and Iniesta can freely switch places. I do agree such a crunch match is not the right places to try these, but this could be safe as you are not changing too much of the formation.

Barcelona management has promised incentive for the team if they can get past Valencia to reach the final. I cannot judge the morality of such a move, but hope this really inspires the team. And Valdes really need to come up with some showing to get us past Valencia.

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Camp Nou Gets Ready to Welcome Celtic

As Barcelona prepares to host Celtic at Camp Nou, the biggest question on every bodies mind will be "What will Rijkaard be unto this evening?” Anyway Rijkaard has included Yaya and Bojan in the squad. We can expect Yaya to start the game since edmilson is excluded from the squad along with Giovanni. Marquez still hasn't recovered from his injury so he joins the injured list along with Ezquerra. The back four does not leave too much for Rijkaard for experimenting as Sylvinho is expected to start on the bench. But we might see Deco starting the lineup ahead of Iniesta. Deco has been Rijkaard's favorite even though his current form should place him automatically on the bench. I would love to see Gudjonsen in the starting line up as i thought he looked ok in the last match. But the biggest headache for Rijkaard will be to decide the front three. On current form it should be Ronaldinho, Eto and Messi who should be starting.

Celtic away record in the Champions league may not be great, in fact its somewhat close to pathetic, but their record at Camp Nou is not bad. I don't think they have ever lost a match at Camp Nou. Barcelona's biggest advantage is the fact that Celtic needs to win with a two goal margin to qualify for the next round. Adien McGeady will be the player for Barcelona defense to watch upon. He might still make some excellent run down the left. But then who knows, there may be one more Celtic trump card in the game - I hope his name is not "Frank Rijkaard"

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Toure Rested

Frank Rijkaard decided to rest the prolific defensive midfielder, Yaya Toure for the match against Athletico Madrid. Athletico have never been an easy place for Barcelona to travel. Eventhough their chief tormentor of previous years, Torres have left; still Athletico ia a very formidable side. This is where the decision to leave out Yaya Toure from such a crucial encounter might come back to haunt Rijkaard. After Yaya's return from the African nations cup there was a serious change in the way Barcelona played. Like many I also believe it was majorly because of the way Ronaldinho played in recent match. But Yaya's contribution to this sudden surge of form by Barcelona cannot be negated.

Gudjonsen along with ronaldinho comes back to the side. Edmilson is expected to fill in Yaya's boots ; and god forbids if he have a bad game then Forlan and Kun Agüero will take the game away from us. Real Madrid will be travelling to Recretivo and will play the game at the same time. So may be we will have a new leader by the end of the match. Rijkaard may be right in giving his players rest, rotating them; but he should also remember that all the competition are at such crucial juncture that requires you to play the best eleven. Hope Edmilson will have a great game.

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Copa Del Rey Semi Final, First leg Preview

Rijkaard have excluded Ronaldinho from the crucial first leg of the Cop Del Rey Semi Final against Valencia. The decision came as a surprise especially considering the fact that Valencia will have an advantage of playing the return leg at home. Along with Ronaldinho, Rijkaard has rested Sylvinho, Gudjonsen, Giovanni and Rafael Marquez also for this match. Marquez is out with pain in his foot and others are excluded as he can have only a 16 man squad for Copa Del Rey as opposed to the 18 in the league. Deco and Henry are back in the squad. Henry should start the match on the left along with Eto and Messi. But the unluckiest one will be Iniesta who is sure to miss out of a starting role and have to wait for his opportunity on the bench. There should not be much change in the back four, but the only thing that has to be seen is where Pinto will get an opportunity under the Goal.

For Valencia, their last encounter with Barcelona was a forgettable affair. The Catalans ran riot in their defense, but this Valencia side for the first time in this season has started showing some consistency which was expected from them. Still the absence of Miguel and Marchena will be a blow to the team when considering the fact that Camp Nou is one of the most difficult place to travel. For Barcelona it’s essential to close out this leg in this match itself. The last time we traveled to face a decent opponent in the second leg; we were out of the competition. But the recent resurgence should give them enough encouragement to perform well. It’s crucial not to think of the return leg at this moment. It’s better to consider one game at a time.

Always Remember "If you chase two rabbits, both will escape."

"Concentration is the factor that causes the great discrepancy between men and the results they achieve... the difference in their power of calling together all the rays of their ability and concentrating on one point." - Orison Swett Marden

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Barcelona Goes To Sevilla

Now its confirmed that Barcelona will miss the service of Bojan and Zambrotta for the upcoming crunch match against Sevilla. Zambrotta will be out for a week with the injury he picked up in the match against Portugal. Bojan, who is still suffering from gastroenteritis, which has delayed his much published debut for Spain. Barcelona is unbeaten in the last eight away matches in all competition - in the league they have drawn twice and won twice. But remaining unbeaten does not solve Barcelona's problem. As everyone knows they have to pick up every available point in order to launch a final assault on the Championship. Mexican internationals Rafa Márquez and Giovani dos Santos are expected to be back in Barcelona by Friday after a friendly match against United States. Rijkaard had a depleted squad for yesterday's training because of the international duties (i will not call it a commitment) of the players. The players who trained at La Masía are Milito, Oleguer, Xavi, Valdes, Edmilson, Gudjohnsen, Iniesta, Messi and Ronaldinho.

The injury to Zambrotta would be a serious setback to Rijkaard as Oleguer will be the only person left to take up that job. Edmilson should be able to fit into the defensive midfielder job. Oleguer never had any competitive game since last October or so, should be expected to be a little rusty. Another question is that whether Sylvinho be picked ahead of Abidal. I expect so. When the last time Barcelona went to Sevilla they came up with a spirited 1-1 draw. They opted for a defensive minded approach that time, but that will not help their cause this time. That was a two legged tie and Barcelona di plan well. But anything less than a victory here now will spoil all the good work done last week when Madrid slipped. Adding up to the Barcelona's worries are the fact that Kanoute, Fabiano and Alves will be available for Saturday’s tie. These three especially will be a very big headache for any defense. Therefore Barcelona has to show their offensive strength more over here. They need to surprise them in the early encounters and need to make sure that Sevilla does not dominate game for extended time. If they get to dominate for more time they will surely crack the Barcelona defense. Barcelona still have a very dangerous side even with all the injuries. We can expect Milito and Marquez to make up the defense. The attacking lineup would be made up of Messi, Henry and Iniesta, with Gudjonsen and Xavi pairing Edmilsson in the middle. To win they have to dominate, they have to defend upfront and importantly not to give away possession cheaply. My prediction will be Barcelona winning 3-1 with Messi scoring a brace. This is the time when Messi has to move out of the shadow of his legendary colleagues.

There is a sense of resentment among Barcelona fans - that the international duties will be the one harming Barcelona's chances. I always believe that a player belong to his Country more than the Club. Barcelona has a very big squad to work with and the unavailability of some players should not harm them. If Barcelona is finding them in a very tough situation, it’s solely because of their lack of commitment, not because of any international duties.

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An Unexpected Ray of Hope

Its strange how Hope chose to resurrect itself from its deep slumber now and then. Barcelona's title hopes were revived yesterday by the most unlikeliest source of it all - Almeria. Almeria are currently at the seventh spot but nobody expected to beat Real Madrid - and that too by a 2-0 margin. Juanito Gutierrez put the hosts ahead after 18 minutes through a goal which might be put on question about its validity. Alvaro Negredo doubled the lead just after half-time from the penalty spot after he had been brought down by Fabio Cannavaro. It didn't come as a surprise that they kept another clean sheet, five in a row.

Almeria buyoed by their excellent defensive record faced the with a defensive mind set up. They were clinical in defense and when they got the window of oppurtunity, they made Madrid pay. But the real beneficiary would be Barcelona which may find themselves reducing the lead to six points, provided they win. With last week draw with Athletic every hope seemed to lose. But this unexpected turn of events have changed the complete scenario around on its axis. Rijkaard is expected to pick his strongest side. A side without Puyol, who is out with injury. But that should not trouble Rijkaard as Milito and Maruez combined well early this season. Marquez should be expected to move to the back with Edmilson taking up the Defensive Midfielder role.

But the real trouble might be finding goals. Osasuna cannot be taken lightly and Barcelona should make sure that they kill the game off well in advance. Any lapse in concentration may shut this wind of oppurtunity completely. Its essential that they win this match well so that they make a strong statement to the leaders.

As a Bulgarian Proverb says - " Seize the opportunity by the beard, for it is bald behind."

Second Goal By Almeria

Source:www.futbolcuyuz.com

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Copa Del Rey QF Return Leg

If there is a trophy which Rijkaard might be craving the most, it had to be the Spanish Kings Cup. It may not have the stature of the La Liga title or the Glamour of a UEFA Champions League title, but for him this one trophy has eluded him the most. Considering last season was a trophy less one - he will be in immense pressure to bring home at least one and Copa Del Rey trophy looks like the most gettable one. If they succeed to get past Villarreal, they may well easily end up with the crown (considering Getafe, Valencia all are having a torrid season). But then that would be only possible if they get past Villarreal at home.

Even though the first leg ended in a goalless draw, but i consider that result a s good as a victory. Barcelona has been very strong in their home matches and should win this match by at least a couple of goals. Last time when Villarreal visited Camp Nou they were thrashed 4-0. Ronaldinho didn't have a great game then, but scored one of the best goal of last season. Ronaldinho is back in the side along with Rafael Marquez. For me returning of Marquez is the most important as it gives more stability in defense. We can expect Ronaldinho to get some time on the pitch in the second half. It’s very important not to start with him as it will only add to his voes this season. Gudjonsen is out so we can expect Iniesta and Xavi to start in the middle. Bojan looks to me the best bet at the centre and should do well with Messi and Henry.

In the defense Rijkaard might stick to the tried and tested with Zambrotta and Abidal making up the Full Backs. Milito and Puyol are expected to guard the Goal in front of Valdez. I believe we will win by a couple of goals. May be a Copa Del Rey trophy is the one which will inspire the team to reach unconquered heights.

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Gearing Up for A Tough Task

El Madrigal stadium does not bring happy memories to many teams, especially Barcelona who failed to win there the last two times. The funniest fact is that Frank Rijkaard has never won there, the only time Barcelona has won there after he became the coach - Hen Cate was in charge. Villarreal is the most improved side in La Liga this season. Last season they were not at their best, but the last week 3-0 thrashing of Valencia should put them in the right set of mind (May be there is a curse associated with Valencia - Any team thrashes them will lose the subsequent game(remember El-Classico), I hope ;-) ).

As Rijkaard said in the pre match press conference "They are a team that can wait for to play in their half before launching counter-attacks or can come out and attack you from the first minute". They will be very tough opponent to deal with especially at home. As Lionel Messi said "We have to keep the return leg in mind when we play”. This Leg also has to be planned well like the Sevilla one. Barcelona definitely has an advantage with playing the return leg at home. Why not to use that advantage to full benefit? A 0-0, 1-1 or at worst 1-0 result will not do any harm to Barcelona's effort to make it to the semifinals.

The starting line up should give Barcelona a definite head ache. Deco should definitely be a no-no in the starting eleven. Marquez or Edmilson (I prefer Marquez as Edmilson returned just from injury) has to return back as DM as they will be much better equipped to deal with Villarreal than Iniesta in that position. Xavi is expected to make the lineup, but will there be place for Iniesta will be a question. I expect Iniesta to join the midfield as he gives a much better attacking option there. I would prefer Henry to start in the left with Bojan in the centre and Messi at far right. If Henry starts in centre then we can have Iniesta taking up that left position and Gudjonsen making up the midfield trio. Another big question is about who will start at the Goal- my preference will be Valdes as El Madrigal will be a very tricky place to give a new Goal keeper his debut.

There were some noises made about Giovanni’s attitude in the last match (mostly toward end which ended in some audience booing him) - get over it guys. He is just a kid, he needs to be protected and encouraged. It was wrong to start with two of the youngsters in the lineup, we cannot expect them to provide the attacking stint when the more known seniors were failing, at least this early in their career.

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Moving Ahead With Hope

With Real Madrid up against the challenge posed in the Madrid derby by Athletico, Barcelona will be surely hoping to cut down the defending champions lead. Barcelona fans will be positively looking towards Athletico Madrid to do them a favour. With Madrid's form of last weeks and considering that Casillas may not be able to keep everything out of Goal, there is a sure chance. But this Madrid side has raised their game every time they came across a tough opposition.

But first of all Barcelona should and will (hopefully) concentrate fully at the job in hand. Playing Racing at home should be easy, especially with the good results running up to the match. Racing currently is at 6th position eying for a UEFA cup spot this season. If Barcelona’s away form has been worse then Racing's has been appalling (but better than Sevilla). Are they capable of a surprise at Nou Camp? I don't think so. Again Barcelona can become own enemy.

Henry needs to start at the left; he looks more comfortable there and can provide enough attacking options from that position. Picking up the midfield formation will be the toughest one. Rijkaard has to pick from Xavi, Deco and Gudjonsen to decide the starting line up. Oleguer should be back in the squad but Ezquerra is most likely to miss out with a groin strain. Either one of the kids - Bojan or Giovani is expected to start along with Iniesta and Henry.

Barcelona is all set to sign José Manuel Pinto from Celta as a back up for injured Joquerra. This should be the only acquisition this mid season transfer window. Nic has more on that Barça And Celta Agree Terms for Pinto or you can visit F C Barcelona

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Sweet HeadAches

With the 4-0 away victory against Murcia, the spirits should be high in the Barcelona Camp ahead of the second leg match against Sevilla. In the form of the away Goal, Barcelona has a definite advantage in this tie. But as we have seen in the past barca also has a disastrous tendency of folding down at the crucial juncture. How much inspiration can be taken from the Murcia match will be another question, especially considering that we managed to lose to Madrid after an excellent away win against Valencia.

With that sense i will prefer the team start the preparation a little cautious. In the match against Madrid we could not carry the excellent form of the previous match because there were too many changes in the side. In this match also there will be some changes, especially centre forward position. I will come to that a little later. I expect Thuram to be replaced by Milito, apart from that and the Centre Forward position, there should not be anymore changes. Gudjonsen and Xavi looked good in the midfield role and should continue there. Marquez is the only choice available for Defensive Midfielder role. Don't even think of putting Iniesta there, especially in a match against Sevilla. Zamrotta should be the out and out choice for Right Back.

But the most significant of changes will be in the forward lineup. Many says in the forward position Rijkaard is facing a problem of plenty. Is he? I don't think so, that is the reason why I have titled the article as "Sweet Headaches". For the last two to three matches, Henry is our best player along with Marquez. Saturday he was marvelous. Many attribute his sudden change in the form to the prolonged rest he got during the injury. I do believe that rest might have done him a world of good, like in the case of Eto also. But I don't think that is the only factor contributing here. From the last two matches he is playing in a position which he was so used to at Arsenal. In Arsenal he may not have been playing so much to the left, but a little close to the centre. In the initial time in Barcelona, he donned the role of a Centre Forward and literally failed. But when he moved back to his natural position, because of Ronaldinho injury - he started giving the glimpses of old Thierry Henry. So Rijkaard should prefer him to stay at the front left. Now the question is that who will play the Sole Centre forward role. If you look at the option

1) Gudjonsen - He looks settled in the Midfield.

2) Ezquerra - He also prefers either of the flanks.

The only option left here is the two kids - Giovanni and Bojan. Out of these two, Bojan looks like a more natural Centre Forward than Giovanni. Now if you add the two injured players - Messi and Ronnie, none of them can don the role of a natural Centre Forward.

I believe that Rijkaard will move Henry to the centre of the plot. I totally disagree with that, he should move Bojan to the centre and have Iniesta at the right. Many may not agree with the my views, many believe that since Barcelona forward players interchange their position very effectively in the course of a match - they can start at any place. I don't agree with that. They all prefer to start at their favorite places. Maybe and I hope and pray, Henry proves me wrong if he is moved to that position. But I believe like a Centre back, the Centre forward is also a specialist position. Nobody can even think of pulling a defender back to open up space like Eto did in last match. Saviola would have fit to that position - but he is not here.

Now coming to the Sevilla side, watch for that Brazilian duo - Fabiano and Alves. they have hurt Barcelona in the past and could hurt us tomorrow. With the 2-0 loss at Bilbao, their spirits maybe a little low. So take the attack to them early. And like the last match Barcelona should defend up front, the forward line should keep on putting pressure on their defenders.

On the organization front Barcelona is contributing more to the society by means of tying up with United Nations Refugee agency (ACNUR). The formal agreement will be signed on January 22 in Geneva. This is in addition to the agreement with UNICEF. "The two bodies will unite their efforts to help work together with their respective programs and to build common initiatives that try and bring a new quality of life to child refugees. A delegation from the club's Fundaciò, headed by President Joan Laporta, will travel to Geneva to finalise the agreement in the ACNUR headquarters. The former Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Gutérres, will receive the delegation as his role as head of the agency." - FCBarcelona site. For the Barcelona fans these are moments of pride and honour. When almost all the clubs are running after money and more advertisement, Barcelona still care to look into the more complex social and economic issues related to the society. The founders of the club will be proud to see that the younger generation still believes in the purpose of this great club. And these measures are truly the one which makes Barcelona - More Than a Club.

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The Great Barca Defensive Midfielder Challenge

God only know if there is any curse involved with Barcelona's defensive Midfield position. Last season everyone with a little bit of footballing sense was complaining about the lack of a quality defensive midfielder. So Barcelona went and acquired Yaya Toure and it looked like he was doing well in that position. Now the inevitable comes, Yaya has to leave for African Nations cup and its understandable as Nation comes before club. We were never that worried as we had edmillson coming back into the side. To go by his performance in last match he looked very good.

But when it comes to Barcelona's DM position, it looks like nothing can be taken for granted. Now its confirmed that Edmillson has indeed torn adductor muscle in his left thigh. How long he will be out is the only fact to be decided and the club doctors are taking their time on it. There is only one somewhat genuine option left for Rijkaard for that position - Rafael Marquez. We will see Iniesta donning that role in some matches, but cannot visualize him doing the same in crucial matches. The only positive that will come with this incident is that Puyol may get back his usual position.

Now coming to the Real Murcia match Xavi, Milito and Marquez may not be in the starting lineup as all of them are carrying knocks. I expect Rijkaard to rest Marquez as he has to don the role of DM in coming matches. With Barcelona’s lineup strength and quality Murcia match should be a cakewalk. Iniesta should perform the DM role in this match. Giovanni is expected to be in starting line up, but i will love seeing Bojan in the lineup too. This will be the perfect opponents for these two to display their skills. It does not look like Barcelona's dream of cutting down the Madrid lead will come true this weekend, as Madrid will be against struggling Levante. But that's no excuse for Barcelona not to put pressure on Madrid. You sometimes don't know from where the opening comes.

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Sevilla Up Next

Rikaard will be looking for a good result in the first leg Spanish Cup match against Sevilla. Barcelona will be hoping that the result will be a repeat of their League match. Sevilla has been the team of La Liga for the last two seasons, but surprisingly were finding it difficult to maintain their high standards this season. But recently they were able to string up a series of good result and this along with the fact that its a home match for them, barcelona is not the best travellers should give them ample hope to win the match.

Barcelona itself is having some sort of problem, the last time they face a tough opposition (Madrid) they failed miserably. This is a cup they failed to win for some time now, that also will not adda any confidence to the bunch. But the most significant factor might be their hero of earlier victory against Sevilla, Lionel Messi is missing. But still they can produce excellent football. If last match is some indication, I believe Henry is slowly gelling with the side. Bojan needs to start ahead of Giovanni as I think he has more energy to offer. Edmillson should take Toure's position.

The main question in Rijkaard's mind will be "Whether I should go For a win?" - My answer will be employ a defensive strategy like last game and try to get out of there with a draw or worst a single goal loss. The two stage ties needs to be planned well.

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Time To Get the Acts Together

Frank Rijkaard has expressed his disappointment about the way the team squandered the Alcoyano match. But he also added that "This result should not be exaggerated". Excuse me! Isn't this the pattern Barcelona has been showing for some time. How did we manage to lose to drew with many teams last season? If my memory serves me right, there were only few match we came back from behind and some how drawn the match. Most of the games we gave away the win in the last ten minutes. You got to admit that you have a problem and then only you can resolve it.

Anyway coming to the match in hand, Mallorca should be not a tough opposition and Barcelona should win it comfortably. But only fact that is stacked against a good Barcelona victory is Barca's dismal away record. With Ronaldinho injured, Rijkaard should get his Line-up correct here. He can have Iniesta in the Front left position and should prefer Bojan on the right. Bojan along with Giovani showed excellent promise in the match against Alcoyan (Eventhough he missed some oppurtuinity, he is just a kid!!). Gudjonsen should be start in midfield, he should resist the temptation of bring Deco in the starting lineup. I know many will disagree with leaving Deco in the bench. But the combination of Xavi and Gudjonsen was working well and should not be seperated. Deco still can come as a substitute and influence the match. Its in the barcelona back most of the time the recipe for failure is being prepared. With Zambrotta back, Puyol should be freed from that stupid Right Back role.

How Much you plan before , Battles won on the field. Barcelona team should prepare themselves to win, I mean win ugly. We cannot afford to slip down anymore. Its time the players should payback the fans with some wonderful results. I still remember the Champions League final when each player were supporting each other and we were constantly trying to destroy the Arsenal defense fort. In the end persistence paid and the fort fell.

I thought this January transfer window we will be pretty quiet, but Jorquera injury proves me wrong. Now we need to find a replacement as soon as possible. Nic from FCB News reports the local papers speculating about Sander Westerveld, Jose Manuel Pinto and Sergio Asenjo joining Barcelona.

NB: "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." - Dale Carnegie

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