FootBall: Barca Freight Train - DreamTeamDownloads1, FTP Help, Movies, Bollywood, Applications, etc. & Mature Sex Forum, Rapidshare, Filefactory, Freakshare, Rapidgator, Turbobit, & More MULTI Filehosts

Ladybbird · 16-02-12, 01:34

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Barcelona: 6 Things Learned from Champions League 1st Leg

Bleachersreport

Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Bayer Leverkusen put up a good fight, but ultimately they did not have enough to overcome Barcelona in the end.

Despite a poor first half where Leverkusen created no scoring opportunities, Leverkusen came back strong in the second half, scoring in the 52nd minute and hitting the post in the 64th minute.

Ultimately though, Barcelona managed to weather the storm and score three crucial away goals to effectively eliminate Bayer Leverkusen from the competition before the second leg.

Let's look at what we learned about both teams from the game.......................

Ladybbird · 16-02-12, 01:36

Defense Can Win Games, but Not by Itself

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

In the first half, Bayer Leverkusen came out with one of the most defensive formations you will ever see in football.
Their formation, a 4-3-2-1, isn't a very defensive one by nature, but it was the players picked by Robin Dutt that made it rather ridiculously defensive.
In midfield, Robin Dutt selected Simon Rolfes, Lars Bender and Stefan Reinartz to play in front of his defense—all of whom are defensive/holding midfielders who don't offer too much going forward.
Reinartz, in fact, has played as a center back for Leverkusen until recently.
Further upfront, Dutt interestingly selected Gonzalo Castro to play behind Andre Schurrle. Castro's usual position is that of a right wingback, so while he can score and contribute on offense, he's a defender by nature.
Finally, the selection of Schurrle as the lone striker was intriguing in and of itself, since Schurrle is a relatively small player who normally plays as a winger or a forward with another forward alongside him.
In the second half, Dutt instructed his players to play more offensively, and when Stefan Kiessling was finally brought on by Dutt in the last 15 minutes, Leverkusen looked very dangerous.
But by then it was too little too late, and Lionel Messi put the nail in the coffin in the 88th minute.
Dutt had a good idea: His goal was to limit Barcelona's scoring as much as possible, earn a decent result (0-0 or 1-1 draw) and try to score a lucky goal at the Camp Nou to take his team through to next round of the Champions League.
But unfortunately, his team's lack of offense allowed Barcelona to control the tempo and possession in the game. From there it was only a matter of time before Barcelona made their domination show on the scoreline.

Ladybbird · 16-02-12, 01:37

Alexis Sanchez: Barcelona's Best Winger

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Barcelona have a lot of wingers—and I mean a lot.
When everyone's fit, Pep Guardiola has Ibrahim Afellay, Pedro, David Villa, Isaac Cuenca, Cristian Tello and Alexis Sanchez at his disposal. That's not including Andres Iniesta and Thiago Alcantara, who play as wingers from time to time, or Dani Alves who usually plays as right winger more often than he plays as an actual right back.
It's also not including Cesc Fabregas, who Pep Guardiola uses as his utility man (he's been used as a winger on either flank, a center forward, an attacking midfielder and a central midfielder).
But from that initial list (not including Alves, Iniesta and Fabregas), I'd say Alexis Sanchez is the best winger Barcelona have.
He's quick, has a good eye for goal and links up well with Lionel Messi. There's not much more you can ask for from a Barcelona winger.
Today, Sanchez took the few chances that came his way very well, and his two goals decided the game for Barcelona.
However, Sanchez does need to improve his consistency. Today he overpowered his opponents and exhausted Leverkusen's defense, but only nine goals in 28 games prior to this match indicates that Sanchez has some trouble with consistency. He's Barca's best winger now, but if he wants to take his game to next level, he'll need to show the consistency Pedro and David Villa showed in previous years.
Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before the next Barca youth product displaces him the way they displaced Pedro (and to an extent, David Villa).

Ladybbird · 16-02-12, 01:40

Messi Is Unstoppable, Unless...

David Ramos/Getty Images

You focus on stopping Barcelona, and not him alone.
In the first half, Dutt sent out his players with clear instructions to nullify Messi at all costs. You could tell because every time he touched the ball, he was instantly surrounded by at least two or three Leverkusen players.
If Leverkusen's goal was to stop Messi from scoring, they succeeded. Unfortunately, that didn't matter too much, because as Real Madrid have found out too well, if the focus is on stopping Messi, he'll find an unmarked man to do the scoring for him.
This happened with Pedro in the Copa del Rey second leg against Real Madrid, and it happened with Alexis Sanchez today in the first half.
People underrate Messi's passing abilities, but there's a reason he has 24 assists this season and 28 last season. In addition to being able to create space for his teammates, his ability to pick out his passing is impeccable.
So trying to stop Barcelona by focusing on Messi likely means failure. He'll simply pick out a teammate and let him score instead.
The only way to take points off Barcelona is by preventing Barcelona from playing their game and consistently attacking their defense, which is generally their weak-point since it seems Guardiola is never able to have his entire first-choice defense fit and playing on a regular basis.
Osasuna and Getafe has succeeded at doing this, and they are the models to follow for other underdogs attempting to beat Barcelona in any competition.

Ladybbird · 16-02-12, 01:40

Michael Ballack Should've Started

Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

I've already been discussed how Robin Dutt got Leverkusen's tactics all wrong for this game, but one of his biggest mistakes was leaving Ballack on the bench.
Until this match, Ballack had been an ever-present member of Bayer Leverkusen's Champions League campaign, and though it's unlikely that he would've scored, he could have provided the necessary veteran leadership to stabilize the team and help it grind out a draw or push for an equalizer at 2-2.
The final result, 3-1, was entirely avoidable, and I highly doubt Leverkusen would've lost by such a margin and allowed in three goals if Ballack was playing.

Ladybbird · 16-02-12, 01:41

Stefan Kiessling Should've Started Too

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Stefan Kiessling has not been in good form all season long, and it has seriously affected Bayer Leverkusen's results.
Since scoring 21 goals in 33 Bundesliga matches in 2009-10, Kiessling has been unable to rediscover his scoring touch. This season he has been limited to five goals in 28 matches.
But with Eren Derdiyok injured and Dutt electing to play with a lone striker, that lone striker should've undoubtedly been Kiessling, not Andre Schurrle.
Schurrle is a fantastic talent, but he's much too small (6'0, 74 kg) to play as a lone striker, especially against the reigning European champions. Stefan Kiessling (6'4, 80 kg) at least would've stood a chance.
Unsurprisingly, Schurrle was nearly absent all game long for Leverkusen, while Kiessling was a consistent threat for Leverkusen in his time on the pitch. He nearly scored the equalizer with a header off a free kick from Gonzalo Castro shortly after coming on as a substitute.
Had he been on for the entire match, chances are Bayer Leverkusen could've taken more from this game.

Ladybbird · 16-02-12, 01:42

Barcelona Are in the Next Round

Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

Because of Robin Dutt's numerous tactical mistakes, Barcelona are into the next round.
It's unfortunate, because Bayer Leverkusen have enough talented players to have drawn this match at home and given Barcelona a run for their money.
Instead, they'll now travel to the Camp Nou for what will largely be a meaningless second leg.
It's also unfortunate because Barcelona didn't look their best today. Messi was the center of attention and Alexis Sanchez played well, but Pedro and Fabregas went missing for a long time in this game.
This was a game Bayer Leverkusen could've emerged from with a good result, but they didn't.
What did you think of the match? Did Barcelona play well, or did Leverkusen just play bad? What other lessons were there to learn from this game

16-02-12, 01:34	#1
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,618 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	FootBall: Barca Freight Train Bayer Leverkusen vs. Barcelona: 6 Things Learned from Champions League 1st Leg Bleachersreport Claudio Villa/Getty Images Bayer Leverkusen put up a good fight, but ultimately they did not have enough to overcome Barcelona in the end. Despite a poor first half where Leverkusen created no scoring opportunities, Leverkusen came back strong in the second half, scoring in the 52nd minute and hitting the post in the 64th minute. Ultimately though, Barcelona managed to weather the storm and score three crucial away goals to effectively eliminate Bayer Leverkusen from the competition before the second leg. Let's look at what we learned about both teams from the game....................... __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

16-02-12, 01:36	#2
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,618 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: FootBall: Barca Freight Train Defense Can Win Games, but Not by Itself Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images In the first half, Bayer Leverkusen came out with one of the most defensive formations you will ever see in football. Their formation, a 4-3-2-1, isn't a very defensive one by nature, but it was the players picked by Robin Dutt that made it rather ridiculously defensive. In midfield, Robin Dutt selected Simon Rolfes, Lars Bender and Stefan Reinartz to play in front of his defense—all of whom are defensive/holding midfielders who don't offer too much going forward. Reinartz, in fact, has played as a center back for Leverkusen until recently. Further upfront, Dutt interestingly selected Gonzalo Castro to play behind Andre Schurrle. Castro's usual position is that of a right wingback, so while he can score and contribute on offense, he's a defender by nature. Finally, the selection of Schurrle as the lone striker was intriguing in and of itself, since Schurrle is a relatively small player who normally plays as a winger or a forward with another forward alongside him. In the second half, Dutt instructed his players to play more offensively, and when Stefan Kiessling was finally brought on by Dutt in the last 15 minutes, Leverkusen looked very dangerous. But by then it was too little too late, and Lionel Messi put the nail in the coffin in the 88th minute. Dutt had a good idea: His goal was to limit Barcelona's scoring as much as possible, earn a decent result (0-0 or 1-1 draw) and try to score a lucky goal at the Camp Nou to take his team through to next round of the Champions League. But unfortunately, his team's lack of offense allowed Barcelona to control the tempo and possession in the game. From there it was only a matter of time before Barcelona made their domination show on the scoreline. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

16-02-12, 01:37	#3
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,618 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: FootBall: Barca Freight Train Alexis Sanchez: Barcelona's Best Winger Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images Barcelona have a lot of wingers—and I mean a lot. When everyone's fit, Pep Guardiola has Ibrahim Afellay, Pedro, David Villa, Isaac Cuenca, Cristian Tello and Alexis Sanchez at his disposal. That's not including Andres Iniesta and Thiago Alcantara, who play as wingers from time to time, or Dani Alves who usually plays as right winger more often than he plays as an actual right back. It's also not including Cesc Fabregas, who Pep Guardiola uses as his utility man (he's been used as a winger on either flank, a center forward, an attacking midfielder and a central midfielder). But from that initial list (not including Alves, Iniesta and Fabregas), I'd say Alexis Sanchez is the best winger Barcelona have. He's quick, has a good eye for goal and links up well with Lionel Messi. There's not much more you can ask for from a Barcelona winger. Today, Sanchez took the few chances that came his way very well, and his two goals decided the game for Barcelona. However, Sanchez does need to improve his consistency. Today he overpowered his opponents and exhausted Leverkusen's defense, but only nine goals in 28 games prior to this match indicates that Sanchez has some trouble with consistency. He's Barca's best winger now, but if he wants to take his game to next level, he'll need to show the consistency Pedro and David Villa showed in previous years. Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before the next Barca youth product displaces him the way they displaced Pedro (and to an extent, David Villa). __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

16-02-12, 01:40	#4
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,618 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: FootBall: Barca Freight Train Messi Is Unstoppable, Unless... David Ramos/Getty Images You focus on stopping Barcelona, and not him alone. In the first half, Dutt sent out his players with clear instructions to nullify Messi at all costs. You could tell because every time he touched the ball, he was instantly surrounded by at least two or three Leverkusen players. If Leverkusen's goal was to stop Messi from scoring, they succeeded. Unfortunately, that didn't matter too much, because as Real Madrid have found out too well, if the focus is on stopping Messi, he'll find an unmarked man to do the scoring for him. This happened with Pedro in the Copa del Rey second leg against Real Madrid, and it happened with Alexis Sanchez today in the first half. People underrate Messi's passing abilities, but there's a reason he has 24 assists this season and 28 last season. In addition to being able to create space for his teammates, his ability to pick out his passing is impeccable. So trying to stop Barcelona by focusing on Messi likely means failure. He'll simply pick out a teammate and let him score instead. The only way to take points off Barcelona is by preventing Barcelona from playing their game and consistently attacking their defense, which is generally their weak-point since it seems Guardiola is never able to have his entire first-choice defense fit and playing on a regular basis. Osasuna and Getafe has succeeded at doing this, and they are the models to follow for other underdogs attempting to beat Barcelona in any competition. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

16-02-12, 01:40	#5
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,618 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: FootBall: Barca Freight Train Michael Ballack Should've Started Jasper Juinen/Getty Images I've already been discussed how Robin Dutt got Leverkusen's tactics all wrong for this game, but one of his biggest mistakes was leaving Ballack on the bench. Until this match, Ballack had been an ever-present member of Bayer Leverkusen's Champions League campaign, and though it's unlikely that he would've scored, he could have provided the necessary veteran leadership to stabilize the team and help it grind out a draw or push for an equalizer at 2-2. The final result, 3-1, was entirely avoidable, and I highly doubt Leverkusen would've lost by such a margin and allowed in three goals if Ballack was playing. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

16-02-12, 01:41	#6
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,618 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: FootBall: Barca Freight Train Stefan Kiessling Should've Started Too Doug Pensinger/Getty Images Stefan Kiessling has not been in good form all season long, and it has seriously affected Bayer Leverkusen's results. Since scoring 21 goals in 33 Bundesliga matches in 2009-10, Kiessling has been unable to rediscover his scoring touch. This season he has been limited to five goals in 28 matches. But with Eren Derdiyok injured and Dutt electing to play with a lone striker, that lone striker should've undoubtedly been Kiessling, not Andre Schurrle. Schurrle is a fantastic talent, but he's much too small (6'0, 74 kg) to play as a lone striker, especially against the reigning European champions. Stefan Kiessling (6'4, 80 kg) at least would've stood a chance. Unsurprisingly, Schurrle was nearly absent all game long for Leverkusen, while Kiessling was a consistent threat for Leverkusen in his time on the pitch. He nearly scored the equalizer with a header off a free kick from Gonzalo Castro shortly after coming on as a substitute. Had he been on for the entire match, chances are Bayer Leverkusen could've taken more from this game. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

16-02-12, 01:42	#7
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,618 Thanks: 27,637 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: FootBall: Barca Freight Train Barcelona Are in the Next Round Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Because of Robin Dutt's numerous tactical mistakes, Barcelona are into the next round. It's unfortunate, because Bayer Leverkusen have enough talented players to have drawn this match at home and given Barcelona a run for their money. Instead, they'll now travel to the Camp Nou for what will largely be a meaningless second leg. It's also unfortunate because Barcelona didn't look their best today. Messi was the center of attention and Alexis Sanchez played well, but Pedro and Fabregas went missing for a long time in this game. This was a game Bayer Leverkusen could've emerged from with a good result, but they didn't. What did you think of the match? Did Barcelona play well, or did Leverkusen just play bad? What other lessons were there to learn from this game __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)