[Archived] Champions League 2010

[Balwer]

Shots on goal - 19 to 0

Completed passes - 724 to 199

Possession - 69% to 31%

If Van Persie was sent off in the first minute of the game then maybe those stats would make some sense, but it wasn't even in the first half. Barcelona absolutely dominated them. As usual Arsene will blame everyone but himself, makes me sick.

[Kamy100]

Barcelona had 21 shots on goal, Arsenal had 1 (not including the own goal), Barcelona had 69% possession. RVP sending off was a shocking decision but Barca have clearly the superior side tonight and also at Emirates.

[HemelRover]

Barca should have had three penalties, and Van Persie should have gone for the facepalm on Alves.

Alan Smith on Sky claiming the game was ruined by the sending off. How many times did Van Persie touch the ball?

Barca are miles above anyone else, they tore Arsenal apart at will. Glad the Clasico final is still on.

Its called El Clásico, not the Clasico. Thats almost as annoying as saying Nou Camp and not Camp Nou

[Commondore]

Barca should have had three penalties, and Van Persie should have gone for the facepalm on Alves.

Alan Smith on Sky claiming the game was ruined by the sending off. How many times did Van Persie touch the ball?

Barca are miles above anyone else, they tore Arsenal apart at will. Glad the Clasico final is still on.

I thought Arsenal had a good game, considering the circumstances. No team on this planet (theoretically, one or two national teams might have a chance) goes out and outplays Barcelona on Camp Nou, you HAVE TO keep a high defensive line and count on your goalkeeper/last ditch tackles saving you once or twice. With van Persie on the field they would definitely have had more bite in their counter attacks, and even with him sent off they were just one heavy first touch from going through.

[Darwen Rover]

I think Barca must be one of the best teams of all time.. The players are fitter / faster than they've ever been so even more reason to say so

[greco]

this barca team, is by far the best team, to have ever played football. Im amazed at the pace they are able to maintain, and thats in all aspects of the game.

[T4E]

Its called El Clásico, not the Clasico. Thats almost as annoying as saying Nou Camp and not Camp Nou

Well done.

[Iceman]

I'm just having a laugh, when I hear that the RVP sending off changed the game. It looked like Barca were playing against nobody, and apart from that last minute Bend Her chance, I don't think Valdes had a save to make. I'm so happy today!

[jim mk2]

this barca team, is by far the best team, to have ever played football. Im amazed at the pace they are able to maintain, and thats in all aspects of the game.

Real Madrid and Benfica in the 1960s, Ajax and Bayern in the 1970s, Liverpool in the 1980s and above all the Brazil team of 1970 were all great teams.

No one can say with any certainty that any team is "the best team to have ever played football".

Oh, and in Britain (not UK) Barcelona's (not Barca's) ground is known as the Nou Camp..

[BangkokRover]

Funny I thought Rovers where the new Arsenal

[CrazyIvan]

Real Madrid and Benfica in the 1960s, Ajax and Bayern in the 1970s, Liverpool in the 1980s and above all the Brazil team of 1970 were all great teams.

No one can say with any certainty that any team is "the best team to have ever played football".

Oh, and in Britain (not UK) Barcelona's (not Barca's) ground is known as the Nou Camp..

And in an interview on SKY, Cesc Fabregas called it the 'New Camp' rather than Camp Nou yesterday. I'd expect him to know...

[den]

Barcelona had 21 shots on goal, Arsenal had 1 (not including the own goal), Barcelona had 69% possession. RVP sending off was a shocking decision but Barca have clearly the superior side tonight and also at Emirates.

I'm not sure Kamy. I think he did hear the whistle. No other player had difficulty hearing the whistle all night. RVP's argument that 90000 people were "standing up" doesn't really stick either, - what does that actually mean?

[BangkokRover]

And in an interview on SKY, Cesc Fabregas called it the 'New Camp' rather than Camp Nou yesterday. I'd expect him to know...

Or was he saying it in a way he knew English people would understand? Can't we email Rubén Rochina or Salgado?

[T4E]

Real Madrid and Benfica in the 1960s, Ajax and Bayern in the 1970s, Liverpool in the 1980s and above all the Brazil team of 1970 were all great teams.

No one can say with any certainty that any team is "the best team to have ever played football".

Oh, and in Britain (not UK) Barcelona's (not Barca's) ground is known as the Nou Camp..

It all depends how deliberately ignorant you want to be.

In your case I'd expect you to continue to call it the Nou Camp.

[savage8]

this barca team, is by far the best team, to have ever played football. Im amazed at the pace they are able to maintain, and thats in all aspects of the game.

How much of their success is down to the players? Or does Guardiola deserve credit too?

Could SteveKeaniho do a job with them?

[Dan]

How much of their success is down to the players? Or does Guardiola deserve credit too?

Could SteveKeaniho do a job with them?

Guardiola deserves a lot of credit too I think. It's not just the attacking flair that impresses me with Barcelona, it's the how they work when they lose the ball.

They are a joy to watch, they just make it look so easy, the way they pass the ball around. Even when holding on to

a slight lead, they still push forward.

I also wonder how much Messi is worth(or how much he'd be sold for in today's Market). At times it's like the ball is stuck to his feet as he dribbles past people.

[Mattyblue]

Oh, and in Britain (not UK) Barcelona's (not Barca's) ground is known as the Nou Camp..

Why what do they call it in Northern Ireland?

[K-Hod]

It all depends how deliberately ignorant you want to be.

In your case I'd expect you to continue to call it the Nou Camp.

Give it a rest will you?

Even if RVP hadn't been sent off (which I thought was harsh), Arsenal still would have been battered. Barcelona are something else!

[Guest Walshy]

I still think FIFA & UEFA have some hidden vendetta against english clubs in Europe. It wouldnt surprise me if there were some back handers given out to officials over the past few seasons. Ill be watching the spurs match tonight with that mentality about the match officials. Ill post back my thoughts tomorrow

[T4E]

Give it a rest will you?

Did I bring it back up? Or am I just replying to those that did? Or can you not read?

I still think FIFA & UEFA have some hidden vendetta against english clubs in Europe. It wouldnt surprise me if there were some back handers given out to officials over the past few seasons. Ill be watching the spurs match tonight with that mentality about the match officials. Ill post back my thoughts tomorrow

If that was the case Van Persie would have been sent off for striking Alves in the face. He was lucky to stay on the pitch for as long as he did.

Messi had a nailed on penalty not given, and Barca had a perfectly good goal disallowed in the first leg.

As English football fans do we just ignore those things, thus being as biased as the officials we criticse?

[T4E]

How much of their success is down to the players? Or does Guardiola deserve credit too?

Could SteveKeaniho do a job with them?

Pep deserves a huge amount of the credit. He knows every aspect of La Masia and is using the youth players in exactly the way they've been brought up to play. He's not a tactical genius or even a great motivator - he just knows every player in his team like the back of his hand - or atleast the academy graduates.

Previous managers (Rijkaard is a good example) have built decent squads, but been unwilling to 100% commit to youth. Guardiola has taken that to another level.

Mascherano had his best game in a Barca shirt last night, btw. He's been average so far this season, and tends to slow the play down in contrast to Busquets who is almost as good with it as his feet as Xavi and Iniesta. Last night however he was a destroyer - the tackle on Bendtner at the end was what put Arsenal out.

[jim mk2]

It all depends how deliberately ignorant you want to be.

In your case I'd expect you to continue to call it the Nou Camp.

http://fc.barcelona.com/the_club/camp_nou

Just to correct your ignorance.

[Seggie]

I'm not sure Kamy. I think he did hear the whistle. No other player had difficulty hearing the whistle all night. RVP's argument that 90000 people were "standing up" doesn't really stick either, - what does that actually mean?

Even if he did hear the whistle Im pretty sure he possibly could have been mid motion to shoot, 1 second is a bit ridiculous, its not as though he had ran about 20 metres between the whistle going and putting the shot away.

Harsh red card, for once Wenger has a right to be aggreived. Although the way Barca were playing it was only a matter of time before they scored anyway.

[Commondore]

I still think FIFA & UEFA have some hidden vendetta against english clubs in Europe. It wouldnt surprise me if there were some back handers given out to officials over the past few seasons. Ill be watching the spurs match tonight with that mentality about the match officials. Ill post back my thoughts tomorrow

That makes no sense. If you have to believe in childish conspiracy theories, why not the most plausible one; FIFA and UEFA favors English teams, since they are the most popular worldwide and therefore brings in more money to them?

[T4E]

http://fc.barcelona.com/the_club/camp_nou

Just to correct your ignorance.

Where?