FC Barcelona vs. Las Palmas | LIVE PREVIEW
Counting down to Barcelona vs. Las Palmas with line-ups, tactics, and big questions
Transcript
all right we are live here we go are we not live yes we are live hey everybody getting ready this morning nice little Saturday morning here in the us as we get started for this Barcelona versus Las Palmas game on the 25th 125th anniversary of FC Barcelona which began in 1899 with Juan gamp and a bunch of other players that I've talked about over the course of time the Wild Brothers all right you want to get right into the starting lineup it looks like people are going to be coming in and are going to want to talk about Las palas right away more than they want to talk about the 125th I think we'll have plenty of time to talk about the 125th over the course of the game and all that stuff so yeah let's dive right into the starting lineup first let's talk a little bit about the Palama starting lineup though because I think there are going to be some overlap um but I also think you know it's been interesting to note the difference this season between Diego Martinez penis's uh Les palas and the Los palas of Gracia pimenta from last season um it's they play a very similar way very similar attacking way like today they're playing they basically build up with a three at the back you you know they want to play a 352 basically or 323 or I'm sorry a three yeah 351 um 361 whatever you want to say because VT the right back is really a right wing back and is going to be playing uh and pushing High quite on the wing to support Sandro who is a Winger in this system but also basically the other forward with Fabio Silva so Fabio Silva is the main forward Ward the nine even though he was 37 and again Sandro is going to be pushing forward quite a bit um as a secondary forward with V coming up on the wing joining marero uh Alberto M malero who I profiled plenty of times in the last two three years even when both palas were getting their their way up in the second division and malero was their their big Prospect then you know they call him you know basically the ped that stayed as far as Les palas I mean l palus fans also so very love pedri like they totally understand he's a barcel fan and why he went to Barcelona and all that stuff and then Kiki Rodriguez he is and another attacking midfielder that uh or Kyan sorry Kyan Rodriguez that's not Rodriguez Kyan Rodriguez another attacking midfielder and Javan Muno probably playing in their like double pivot but again he's also very attacking minded so they like to push a lot of players up which leaves them a little exposed at the back with Jose compa a long-term Levante Midfield a defensive midfielder I think people who've been watching me and watching the Le of for a while know that comp is generally a has always been a lante player in the first division as they were there for a while and now since they've gone down he found a new home in the first Division and then along the backline they have Scott McKenna who is the the large and InCharge Scottish Center back and then Suarez is um kind of run-of-the middle Le uh Center back can also play outside back but yeah basically just a run the bill Center back and then you have mik marmal and mik marmal for those who've been around a while know that he's a former Barcelona player uh he played at barcel B even and he's made a home as a starting player for Los palmos now for the last two seasons which is always great to see when you see a laasia talent make that move over to another club and and start getting starts and that's that's always cool to see so happy for mik marmal um very good ball playing back and it looks like he'll be playing left back in this game based on their their attacking for I mean their formation but I said I think those palas is really G be playing um five at the back often which I'm interested to see between Capa Muno uh I mean sandros won't be dropping back but Kiran Rodriguez or malero you know I I can't see they're going to be defending a five in the back so really it's like you know they'll be defending in a flatback four I guess with marmal but again building up they want to build up with three at the back and then getting VT forward a bit on the right thing there all right but let's talk a little bit about um the Barcelona uh attack today um because just talking about Les palas a little bit they're just barely out of the um they're just barely out of the relegation Zone even though they have lost they've lost two of their last but then they won the other three which helped them kind of jump out of there um but Valencia and espanol both also have um a game in hand on them because of the FL in Valencia they had some trouble there dlos Palama so between Valencia and espol they could overtake them with that extra game in hand 12 points to 10 points for those Valen and spol and then Val V is really in a bad way right now on nine points at the bottom of the table um and then let p right in front of them they have leaness adaf and alivez that they could easily jump as well with a few updates a few upsets or the schedule kind of going their way or the shock victory over Barcelona or anything like that so Barcelona's lineup let's do that now um TR what time is it for me here it is 7:38 a.m. in the morning so uh for somebody who work last night yeah pretty pretty pretty late late night so didn't get to bed till about 4:30 a.m. and it is 7:30 a.m. now so we are hey bisa El BARC okay we we love the club we love Barcelona so that's why we're here um so yes good morning to everybody uh or good afternoon to some and then very much good night if any or not good night but very much uh good evening overnight for anybody could come from Australia or the other side of the of the world as me um okay let me see am I ill wisdom no I maybe I just sound like I'm I'm no I don't think I'm Ill I'm doing okay and uh and don't you worry when this ends I I got a nice little after new nap plan so I will I will get my sleep don't you worry um but all right so let's talk about the lineup for Barcelona this morning so it's Le Ali up top he was fit no surprise raia I think we'll likely start on the right that makes sense to me I know people said that he's been more effective on the left but let me say that I think he's been more effective when the m is on the right and he is on the left I think that's a big part of raia being very effective on the left so he's going to be on the right and then fering Lopez unlike Danny Elmo And I think unlike some of what we even saw with Rafia when he was on the left or in the middle and ferine Lopez is start on the right ferine on the left you know if you're gonna have to put him on a wing it works a lot better with him inverting from the left side because then Bal day and even jard Martin pushed forward Against Breast so with Bal day pushing forward having ver fine Lopez inverting on the left seems to make as a formula the most sense and then Pablo to coming off a good performance and you know he pound-for-pound minute for minute this season has been pretty successful and so PA to getting a start against Los palas which I think is actually a tremendous team to start Pablo to against these are the kind of matches that at the start of the season when I was like oh you know if you could rotate PA to in for certain matches uh I mean a game that basically starts again as I said six attackers in a in a a team there will be space likely against Las palas to exploit and I'm hoping Pablo Thor can do just that so excited for him to start I know some of the eyes are going to be on him but I also think that with fine Lopez I mean up there there's going to be again space for him because fer Lopez is going to run off him rafina is a runner so being surrounded with two guys that are going to run and things like that and then having leowski right in front of him to associate with him I think Papo is in really good shape and then for gobby and pedri to be the double pivot for him close associations that's some good stuff I think you're going to notice though Mark Caso I think will be his absence will be felt today remember he is suspended for this one that's why you're not getting any casido and then it's Gabby and pedri because D young is also suspended and Gabby having started last weekend in his first start in over a year he he is starting this one then when then now so hanzi flick is slowly integrating him and rotating him um is is is slowly rotating him in and out for the start his starts which is fine uh and then Frankie young we don't know if he's fit anything like that we know that Almo isn't totally fit that's why he's on the bench we know linum all is not totally fit that's why he's on the bench we know Fen Torres is not totally fit that's why he's on the bench uh Eric Garcia has not played since he came back from injury so I'm not surprised that didn't start this match and then Bal now seems to be fully fit again and has returned to the starting lineup alongside kundai kuari and then Eno Martinez there was also some worries about Eno Martinez and his Fitness but he is also fit for this one to start so you got inaki Pena in goal as well so really the surprises but they're not I don't think this is a surprising starting lineup I actually really like the starting lineup against Los palas from hanzi flick um I think with the number of goals that Los palas uh have shipped this season so they have scored 18 which just doing the quick math here puts them ahead of just let's see one so Barcelona 42 let's see here second is Real Madrid with 28 B have scored 25 atleti has scored 21 you got Athletic Club with 20 Jona with 20 Sela with 22 and then you have Los palas so if I can count that's one two three four five 6 7 Anda has 19 so that's eight and then nine Sol those palas they're in 17th Place but they have scored the ninth most goals in the lia this season as far as goals against though yeah I mean there's your problem they've shipped 25 which is third worst next to just 26 by S benol one last game and 27 from by lead which puts them bottom of the table so they do ship goals and that's kind of the problem but they do score at a pretty good rate as well so you can it's at it's at the uh M week so I think there's a chance that Barcelona would be fighting for a a clean sheet with this one um so let's get the quote from hansy flick on Lum M struggling with L without struggling without Lum mul he was asked about this he said no we played a great game against breast we won it and it was an impressive game from the team so I'm not worried he trains us for a few days I think he'll be ready and we'll see how he is um again the 125 year anniversary also going on in the pregame and all that stuff um malero and pedri friends talking it up as well as the goalkeeper for Las palas today it uh it is Jasper Sison so former Barcelona back up uh and that is the uh so he's a net for Les palas okay so let's see let's talk to let's talk to chat a little bit um good day to you AE uh zero height in the Midfield yeah I mean kadoo is aren really too very Too Tall either I think goby and K are pretty much the same height K's head might be a little bit bigger any uh but you know and I think because of gab's more attack-minded stuff we don't we don't think about uh we don't think about him as a uh as a ball winner but you he plays bigger than his size um and then again kund also plays bigger than his size and height has not been an issue levandowski has also defended well on set pieces this year I want to add that to you so we talk about height you know from dead ball situations inak uh Inigo Martinez has been good and inaki Pena is getting better at controlling his box so between inaki pen ni Martinez and leowski Barcelona has actually been pretty good in defending set pieces this season um good morning to you team Enz um expectations from Pablo Tor I think this is as I said I'm excited for Pablo Tor Felix I think it's a good start for him there's a good team for him to start against and I'm hoping that he can find the space that um that will likely be available over the course of this game again Las palas is going to go for it so I wouldn't I wouldn't be I wouldn't be too concerned that they're going to be you know running from Barca I think they're going to go for it against Barca too that's how they they've worked this season and that's how they've gotten their goals and they're ninth in the lia in goals but bottom third but bottom from the third from the bottom there we go see people asking what time is it 8 am. it's not necessarily the sounding sick or or being sick or being tired it's more that my brain's not totally functioning this early in the morning as as youall know I work a lot of nights so 7:45 is not a time that I'm used to but hey again visale Barca for of Barca that's why we do this um compana and Malo keam need to be stopped I hope gby can recreate the defensive Midfield performance of last year's Classico um I mean I'm really I'm very intrigued to see pedri and Gabby in that Midfield double pivot together of course um but I also think they're greatly capable of of handling this game I think it's is a really good game to kind of help them regain some of their continuity and understand some of their spacing I mean pedri has been so Sensational from a deeper position and Gabby can win ball so if gb's going to win balls today and he can play a ball from Deep to so if gb's going to win some balls and ped's going to keep hold of that ball and make sure Las palas can't touch it and you know be a deep line playmaker the way he's been so far this year I think gobby and pedri can have some success against those palas um mik marmal injured right now but he is still available so that's cool good to see thoughts on Van you asked thoughts on flick making the squad stay at at the team Hotel before home games moving forward uh is that effective um so this is a little story people know that earlier um this fall like what what two months ago I went down to South Carolina who uh to to one of my best friends who is a he runs the applied science lab for for Clemson football and so you know he's a doctor and he does his stuff down there for the football team and even for home games they that is a big thing here in the US it's not necessarily big thing in European uh football but it in American football um and for even Prof professional like especially again American football in particular because they only really have like the one game per week um so a lot of times like basketball teams like pro teams and stuff they'll they will they will come from home you know what I mean like they have a shoot around then they all kind of have their day routine and they come from home or whatever it is but for a lot of the NF teams don't always sleep at the hotel every night before because it's most easy um it's easiest for the fitness trainers and doing all the preparation beforehand and having that group together in the team hotel with having access to the players in that way makes uh makes athletic training like preparation like again massage guns if some of them do like crowd chamber or the infrared stuff like whatever the players need you know that Barcelona can afford and the I mean even the the leg compressions that you see a lot of players use now that is honestly like moving forward the reason why you go to the team hotel isn't necessarily for the stuff between the ears like maybe you know hanzi Flick's like yeah that's that's why we do it but realistically the the squad staying at the team Hotel before even home games has a lot to do with keeping the team healthy uh and and getting them their physical preparations with the the training staff needed again they do that for NFL teams here in the US again my one of my best friends who works for Clemson football which is for all intense purposes like it it's run like an oper operationally it's run like a professional football team you know with the number of personnel and trainers and and again like applied science doctors and and all those different people in there so for um yeah for hanzi flick I think it's to keep players healthy he's had a few too many injuries I think that he would be happy with this season again look at who all has gone out and the ways that they've gone out with the exception of ter Stan and Bernal who had injury you know again ACL injuries are going to happen in the sport when players play as much as they do or even when they don't like ACL injuries happen but as far as like the MUSC the muscle stuff and the um yeah hamstrings muscles um even like ankle effect Effectiveness those kind of things like that's all there's a level of flakiness to to stuff that's like tendon and Bone related but as far as anything like even getting players back to healthy like gobby like again going through his regimen before every game is really essential for gobby to have him prepared you know and match fit and make sure that as that knee continues to build its match Fitness and strength he you know he doesn't the rest of his muscles like his hamstrings and his calves aren't overcompensating for anything like that so van I don't I think I answered your question in a way that you were not expecting me to to answer it but I'm glad I got to answer that way um let's see John what are my thoughts on the pedri Gabby double pivot I got you on that one Dean bro is really committed um mcal Barca totally agreed Dean yeah this point after eight years pretty pretty uh pretty stuck in to the Barcelona content uh machine and uh I will say that uh well I guess nine years since I started working with francess for Barca block um yeah but then watching the team for like 20 years John I'm happy to see ferine getting a start he needed after his last performance uh yeah I mean I hope that fine can get on the board and play with some confidence his go his 12 goals last season were really big for Barcelona scoring from a Midfield you know role even though last year he was a forward2 but you know from a be basically saying that he was a midfielder scoring for Barcelona those total goals now this year being a forward you know you want to see him get at at least 10 goals this season again and and be able to back up last season success with this season Alfred hey I think there's a lack of discussion on how the choice of left wing affects the left back and the striker I see cavar as more compatible with Jonathan David because both of versatile while Leo will work best with leowski or cesco uh Alfred that's an interesting conversation I think that isn't really for the pregame but something that I'll definitely talk more about um when given the opportunity for sure um let's I want to pull up the game they just the feed is available now so let me see here okay let's see what else we got here uh John I'm surprised we're not rotating in the back we have tough games coming up uh I think he that being hzi flicks likes the fitness of the squad right now in terms of at the backline uh and again enro Martinez has been you know Irreplaceable but I think the the coming up of those tough games also correlates with the return of araho araho is now about two weeks out from returning which I think is a good thing for Barcelona's depth at the back for sure and then Eric Garcia has also returned but even though we're talking about rotating a bit at the backline you know jar Martin just rotated Bal day out in the last match um even though Bal day also wasn't fit for that one so yeah I mean kund also got a rotate out um last week so Hector Fort came in and that was good to see as well um so yeah I mean I don't think that the backline necessarily you don't you don't want to change what they do uh either uh so let's see other discussions here Wakee agreed I think Caso and Gabi are similar in terms of the aggression and passing though I also could see Gabi further up at the 10 like for Spain before injury not in this setup what game I mean with this setup Pao toy