FC Barcelona vs. Espanyol | LIVE PREVIEW
Counting down to Barcelona vs. Espanyol with line-ups, tactics, and big questions
Transcript
hey we are live on the pregame show for the live stream here on YouTube to talk some Barcelona versus espanol as it is a Catalin Derby that feels like after the adventures against Barcelona uh that being Barcelona against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich you know it feels like you could uh you know Barcelona could be in second gear and win this match and as as people start to join again welcome remember this is the preview live stream show on YouTube and then at well what is on the East Coast here in United States 10:15 so in about what is it yeah 28 minutes time we'll head over to Big up which is where the watch along will be over on big up again where I have a tactics board and we're going to have a little fun there where we'll construct probably the five headlines we'll see how the match goes um but yeah let's talk a little bit about the starting lineup and then see if we have any questions here in chat or anything like that uh then we'll give some score predictions too um maybe actually hey how about I just start off on a score prediction right away uh and hello everybody who's joining as you get this started so I think I'm going to start with a score prediction of I think this one is going to be a pretty easy barcel win uh I think Barcelona I'm going to say three nothing at home against espanol uh because this starting lineup That Hy fck is going with this team did have a week off which is pretty great to be able to you know finally rest a few guys in training uh except for Eric Garcia who was unable to get back here uh and then looking midweek to that uh to that game um against um against uh krna or red star belgrad let's just go red star belgrad so that game against uh red star belgrad on Wednesday I mean that is a team that have only scored what two goals in yeah they scored just two goals in the Champions League so far and then they've conceded 11 in the Champions League so red star belgrad who've lost all three games in the Champions League so far that will likely not be the most taxing match you'd think for Barcelona coming up on uh on Wednesday so I think you know hzi flick is in a good opportunity to if he does need to rotate for that match too he could do that as well uh and I think he's giving a little bit of credit with this starting lineup That being hanzi flick to the espol side that he's facing today in starting such a strong starting lineup so it's inaka keeps his spot in goal it's levandowski Elmo Rafia and lium all so Almo steps back into the starting lineup for ferine Lopez uh because it seems like Almo is finally now fully fit after a again another full week to be able to um to be able to kind of get get healthy and he's ready to go uh and then is Caso and pedri so they keep their spots D young and gobby are still working their way back remember D young was out for like was six months or five months or whatever he was out and then Gabby was out obviously for almost a whole year um and then on the back line here's a little bit of fun it's Bal day and kubar and nyaki andgo martinz I should say keep their spots which totally makes sense there's not a lot of depth back there unless you start jard Martin and Sergio Dominguez who did you know struggle a bit against uluna and then starting up right back to give the rest to Hector Fort uh to give the rest of kundai is Hector Fort so the one player that steps into the starting lineup is Hector Fort and I'm really excited to see him um take on espanol I think this is a really good game for him remember he is still just 18 years old he turned 18 in August so he has not been 18 for very long and you know this is a player that's been with Barcelona for 11 years now so since he was the U7 which is as low as you could possibly go to be a seven-year-old at Barcelona it's a very first year that anybody accepts you uh or eight years old whatever he was at the time when he when he officially signed for the club and as I said in eupen and goal so with Hector vort really the only player jumping into that starting 11 from what should be generally a First Choice 11 you know hzi flick is saying hey I'm not overlooking Espanol not not to say to' be a lot of rotation either but Anu doesn't get a start no Pablo Thor no pal Victor uh so that's as far as on the periphery of the uh we'll call it the um the bench you know where the substitutes uh yeah he's going with a strong starting 11 is hzi flick on the other side for espanol who did play a Copa del Rey match midweek they've got a little bit of rotation from there they didn't start their strongest side midweek in the Copa Dar um but some of the players that I would usually of expect a start in like Brian olivon the left back uh Sergi Gomez the former Barcelona player for the real old hats he did not make a single appearance but he played for BARC B when they were Barca B uh I'm talking about 10 years ago now from like 201910 until like 2014 and then he played a while for Cela Deigo but yeah he's not starting today and then um their regular number nine that they have on loan from Tottenham a 21-year-old Center Ford in um aljo valis he is also not starting he started midweek against a lower division side in the Koba he is again they're number nine uh yeah and then even other players who are regularly playing in the S Division in their careers um par MAA he is not starting um another fun player um who again this is for players or people who really care about the lower levels and Prospects not lower levels as in like the siga divisions and third division or whatever but I mean the uh the prospect world you might remember a name from Young uh from Young ax that an old friend of the podcast who hasn't been on in a few years now nid uh put us got us privy to Nasi Univar who is uh on loan from aax at the moment to um to Espanol but he is only 21 just turned 21 but he was a huge Prospect with young aox through the years scored like 24 goals not like I having I have it up here 24 goals and 73 appearances has never made an official appearance for aax and that has struggled with three loans in the last three seasons to um to trb trasor there we go uh p in Turkey to tent in uh in Netherlands and then espanol this season where he's only made one appearance so he has not really got his career going on after becoming the youngest player ever to score during his official debut for Ajax uh but then again that came in 2019 2020 when he was 16 years old and then again it has just not really worked out since then he never debuted in the league or in the Champions League Europa League or anything like that for ax otherwise so he is on their bench but again does not really get off the bench uh the one guy really to uh now on the left side it looks like they're probably going to play a 442 and both of their that being Espanol Center forwards or they're not really forwards they're actually Wingers but um H cares he is on the left side and he's actually had a pretty good season for them so far he has two goals and three assists so he is their big goal contributor uh and he is really a second division player that looks like he is more comfortable in the first Division and then on the other side javu 26y old he's kind of the guy from penol he's had to be the guy now for a few seasons for them really help them get back up from the second division so yeah PL would be uh the the man to watch in this in this matchup but other than that I mean again their best players are out on on loan here in Al craw the defensive midfielder from Union Berlin I mean and then they have this young player Baza who also played midweek who is just coming up from their Academy and aside from that I again there's not really too much to write home about kumbula is a center back who plays on loan from Roma guess one of their big gets in the off season but yeah this is not a talented espanol side right now they're sitting 17th and to give you an update looks like Atletico Madrid in stoppage time just scored against Los palas so Las palas having lost uh pimenta in the off season they're still in the relegation Zone and they won't be out even regardless of what espol does this weekend it looks like uh Las palas R the lead will still be below them in the table and then Valencia can only get up to where they are uh depending on a positive result for them so I do expect this season now real V Le got you know they got crushed by Barcelona seven goals uh by Barcelona against r v Le of course the hatrick from Mia but real V lead in the moments that they looked okay to me uh which was really only that one win that I that I kind of Ted into for a moment but even the loss against osuni yesterday wasn't too bad they lost one- nothing they lost one they lost 2-1 to Vale uh they lost 2-1 to vako they lost 2-1 to mayorca and the draw they had was against Real caad they lost 2-1 to Sevilla they lost 3-1 to Cela Deigo so these results aren't too terrible they lost three to real uh to uh Real Madrid and then their one victory was to start the season against espanol which again is it's kind of poetic just at this point and then they have another win in there too that I'm I'm not seeing anyway V roale the only team in uh sorry Valencia and hadaf the two teams with only one win but for hadaf classic hadaf they have seven draws as well so that's where you sit in the table at the moment espanol and adaf on the 10 points still get have to play this weekend and then as Los palas we V and Valencia but I said just on pedigree and what I've seen I think Les Palmas and real V and Valencia might be a little bit better than espanol so I again I I'm not as you know for those who with me for a while you know that I don't like to um say that Barcelona's going to destroy a team you know I'm very careful my predictions but yeah I think this one's going to be three nothing easy with the way that Barcelona playing right now and more importantly as I said the fact that hanzi flecked clearly with his starting 11 just rotating in Hector Fort I think that Hans flick is looking for another big result and looking to really take it to Espanol because as I said Wednesday against red star belgrad that is a team that is really struggl in the Champions League this season uh out of jaia so I think that Hans flick is just expecting you know a week that hey let's get some results and not push everybody too far um all right let's head into the chat here if you have questions hit me in the chat here with some of those good questions let's see Ronnie I'm at work and my break is still uh is is till 10: your mat will be extra important for me today thanks so much Ronnie yeah I'll probably have that a little bit later um I've got some puppy duty this afternoon so I'm gonna hang out with my with my dog a little bit which is not um not GNA be for camera that's not one five headlines but that is what I'm doing this afternoon uh and then I have um a thing to do tonight then I'll get home and I'll I'll finish it much later likely so the match review will will not be out for quite some time uh but I'll definitely have my good thoughts in there uh then hello to Ram to mxpx MTB uh hello to you guys um Fe glad to see you sticking with this yeah I mean I'm I'm enjoying the previews again if I'm available and doing this anyway we'll see how long I can do these but yeah if I'm here then I'm doing it um Ronnie I would have rested linum all or Rafia not both L yeah I mean I would have loved to see onto get a start here or Pal Victor but I do get the feeling that at least one of those two will start against red star belgrad I know that the champions league has that weight but I just that is a team that is I think h f actually saying espol because it's a derby match and this kind of Darby match is Catalin derby match even though it's um it's at home for Barcelona espol he's expecting them I think to raise their level a little bit closer because it is a Darby and all those things um but yeah Ram love your show been with you since before the loss for Roma all right Ram so yeah you've been around quite a while um let's see Sharie I wish your prediction is right I'm afraid of a surprise as I said I would be if there would have been even more rotation but I just there's no rotation and this best benol side if anything they rotated a little bit because of their midweek match in the Copa against the lower division side so I mean espel isn't starting their best 11 and Barcelona is starting basically their best 10 plus one so I mean I'm pretty confident in the the two lineups today again I don't very rarely do I really walk out on the plank that far to say that I really think Barcelona's gonna handily take a des benol today but I do uh Ronnie when do you debut chzn maybe midweek against RAR uh red star belgrad to be honest if he's ready to go but uh he was retired for a few months and in occup is in really good form and you don't truly need to change your goalkeeper out and also there's another International break coming up in two weeks as well so maybe chzn doesn't really you know he's not needed if you want to call it until after that International break so I would say either Wednesday or in you know almost a month's time I mean he really is at this point now too if vaki peny has earned the number one spot and I want to go back to the podcast I did on U on Tuesday of this week with with Alex delas and I think the most enlightening thing that he said from that podcast as much as the Tactical talk that we had was a lot of fun the thing that he said that stood out to me was that in train within the CL he's hearing that inaki Pena trains really well and it is one thing to train well of course and carry that over we're hearing the same thing about Anu that Anu trains really well but then it's not really carrying over to the the matches we've seen him in though I I've kind of liked what I've seen as I also defended him on the last five headlines I did with him as one of the five headlines that he when he was in that match against Sevilla when he started um but he said that inaki Pena the people around the club are kind of just waiting until that moment when he carries it over and confidence is a huge part of that and he kind of did say that you know confidence wise against Bayern Munich against Real Madrid that might be a huge thing for him throughout the rest of this season and could change kind of the the calculus on on whether or not he's just the starter and chzn will just be the backup this year um so yeah Ronnie to answer your question I think chzn is either Wednesday because they're going to rotate in acena or you might wait till after the interal break when he's needed hopefully again y pen could stay healthy and it's just him because so far after the week against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid I had my concerns I still have some my concerns but Alex kind of told me calm down if anything he'll just get better with that confidence uh Cloud subject thanks for doing this stand love these watch on the first time I can actually watch live that's awesome again I'm going to put this in the chat here remember we're going over to Big up so I can use a tactics board and we have a little bit more fun over there and it also helps me out more on big up than doing it on YouTube Just again this is a financial thing as well um you know big up and that partnership is more helpful to me uh than just you know the few the few views I get here on YouTube uh and until I can lock down some YouTube sponsors that that that can sponsor these these live previews and stuff like that unfortunately again uh that means that it it just it makes a lot more sense for me to go over on big up and do it there and again they've been fun to work with and being on the ground floor for their beta program and their Alpha is awesome so I hope everyone from this watch along again I can see how many people are in here please head over to Big up with me and join me over there even for just a little bit of time uh that would be again big help to me as more as many viewers I get in there and remember on there unlike on here if you hit that little button where you um the request button you could potentially come on and and talk to me with your audio so there's more capabilities and more possibilities over there to uh to to join the show than there is over here David says should hanzi flick take into account the amount of fouls espanol gives rotate players to protect I mean there's going to be fouls everywhere so uh I think it's for for Barcelona I think again there's a risk when you play any players like anybody in in football can you know at hamstring could always go at any time uh you just never know it could happen in training as well as as in a match so I think he wants to keep his 11 fit like for to play potential 90 minutes uh but I do think that in this match we will see that that bench be completely um completely emptied I would assume today using all five Subs get everybody on the field because the bench is looking deeper uh again D Young's back P Victor fine Lopez Pablo Tor anati Gabby kund if you need him again jar Martin an option to rotate Bal as well then Sergio Dominguez I can only see him if Eno Martinez and kubar C need that up so so yeah I mean I think that uh this bench will likely you just have options now the depth people are getting healthy and the really it's just as this point you know te seconds out for the year but now you're really just kind of waiting on well the Roo and this team is pretty much what it's going to be hopefully in the spring and raho will be a big a big uh well and Christenson too how can foret out Christensen so with Christensen and Aro potentially back yeah this team is just going to get deeper and deeper than Eric gcia will likely be back for potentially Wednesday I doubt he starts in that one but it'd be nice to see him start at defensive Midfield at that spot um Cairo asks will pedri be the king of the Midfield anytime soon I think he already might be Cairo I think I think pedri has been fantastic this season and the matchups against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid Barcelona you know they did not win the Midfield battle in the first halves for about the first 20 or so minutes and then in both of those match something kind of clicked and ped's ball retention against Real Madrid just you know it it's like grease like I was like Sandy I was swooning uh over bed's ball retention it was awesome and against Bayern Munich too he and Caso really raised their game from the 20th minute on when they played a little bit higher up the field and yeah I think he he changed both of those games with how excellent he was so pedri to me he's already one of the kings of the Midfield um and it is one of the things that when we talk about the course throughout a year right the teams that are flying high and doing the best in the spring when it's time to win the champions league and you talk about like the big teams and who are contending for that title you know people are going to still say well Real Madrid and Man City and Liverpool who are leading the the the Prem right now man city just took a loss in the Premier League this weekend so the teams that are they you expect to be fighting for that Champions League trophy come the spring and the teams that are kind of flying high now on form of what we've seen there's an argument that Barcelona and I guess Liverpool again being the other one are the two best teams right now in World football like really standing above the rest with the results because they just took it to and destroyed Bayern Munich and Real Madrid with goals in the last week so as far as the beginning of November right if the two teams I expect on form this moment to be in the Champions League final it would be Liverpool Mora based on form but uh at the moment it is just it's just a the member so a lot of things can change by the time the spring rolls around um