FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid | El Clásico LIVE PREVIEW
Counting down to El Clásico with line-ups, tactics, and big questions
Transcript
all right what if I told you we are live ready to go for El Classico welcome everybody I see some people already in here of course it's GNA be a long day we got about what three hours of talking in recording but it is uh what could be a week that defines the season Barcelona against Real Madrid in El Classico again starting a week uh what two minutes early so we'll kind of wait for people to get in remember it is here they have they have the uh we have the live stream preview first and then at 3 o'clock I'm going to keep putting this in the chat we're heading over to Big up at 3M yeah Hey Stephen and Curtis Charles joining in too okay so let's get into the starting lineups now uh Stephen ask already why is fermine playing we needed more control uh I mean I think there was control against barcel I mean against Bayern Munich and that is why hanzi flick didn't change anything you also talk about Fitness so we don't know about Danny Almo we don't know about goby we don't know about Frankie young and their ability to play 60 minutes or whatever was going to be required of them and ancelotti went the opposite direction here and he went instead of who we saw against Dortmund which was Modric he instead went with tuani with kavinga and without tibo ctoa available it was also Lunen so it is going to be potentially the story of two backup goalkeepers in inaki Pena and in Lunen um and yes there is some physicality in that midfield for Barcelona uh sorry for Real Madrid but what there isn't for Real Madrid by not starting Modric is if you've noticed this season without Modric since Tony Cruz moved on they are struggling to have a control of a game right the es and flows of a game and taking possession and doing things with that possession is different than even just kicking the ball around having possession and by taking modic out of the starting lineup again he did play on Wednesday in that start against Dortmund I do think that is a physical Midfield but control was going to be hard to come by in this match so it seems like Carl ancelotti is admitting that even at home he wants to be the team that is going to be trying to Counterattack trying to get out and run and basically go all out win the ball and then try to get forward as much as you can so I think that's kind of the idea um with Francis you're saying that kaming is going to do the pressing and Tani is going to do the dirty work uh chani also is really good uh at arriving late in the box that's where he can really be dangerous um but this game is gonna have so many different phases too that I'm not too not to say I'm not overdoing the idea of a starting 11 um but I also thought with Rodrigo out of this match that this kind of was going to have to be the case that it was going to have to be a 4 4 II so instead of starting Modric as like a number 10 in behind mbappe and Vinnie Jr again it kind of all out physicality in that Midfield with chanii and kaminga and that means that b is gonna have to push forward too and Bard generally does play well against Barcelona historically he's one of those guys very much like sergy Roberto did one of the guys you don't really talk about but to me fetty bde is a player that I Circle and say I'm actually a little bit concerned about him and how dangerous he can be for those who've joined recently again I think with such a big day we're going to continue to get people here in the live stream taking us up to 245 or 255 I should say and then give me about a f minute break to get some water on those things and then we're heading over to Big up with the link there in the in the chat um the big picture here you know it's funny because in a week it's almost impossible to say that a game against Real Madrid was the second most important game in a week but because Barcelona are up by three in the leag of table I think beating Bayern Munich in that match on Wednesday was Paramount that was because of all the demons and all the things that Kevin Williams I talked about on the the show yesterday it is it was power Mount to get a result in Europe against Bayern Munich and I know in the Liga Kevin had said it yesterday too that most likely if barcel going to win a trophy this season it will be the leue of trophy so this match on paper against Real Madrid is the more important one but I think in terms of the confidence of the team in terms of the psychological um you know empowering nature of what a win can do in Europe I do actually think by what even January February because Real Madrid they it's so funny because they are unbeaten in what is it 41 straight matches in La Liga so I mean 42 rather and if they that being Real Madrid go unbeaten today they'll tie the alltime record which is 43 which is set by Barcelona so interestingly enough if Real Madrid managed to get some result here it tells you in the lia they aren't in insane run of form but there there's a big difference between getting a win and being unbeaten with a draw and Real Madrid have dropped points again they they do not lose in the Liga but they have dropped points so for Barcelona even a draw in this match does so much more for you and so I do think that nerve wise I know people are saying they're nervous and confidence-wise I mean I think these team teams are very even and when these two teams in Clasico had been even you know Barcelona don't come into a classicos as the you know on par playing as well as Real Madrid are and then get blown off the field doesn't usually happen so you know my belief is there're going to be goals in this game just like they were uh against Bayern Munich so I think a 3-2 is completely a fair result I think there will be goals again Barcelona is going to go with that high line and classical again is going to come down to little individual moments from Vinnie Jr from mbapp and there have been moments when mbappe does not get service and has not really been able to find games until late on and it's too late what Barcelona will not do is they will not sit in a low block so mbappe will have his chances throughout the game but what is Barcelona doing on the other side to put that ball in the back of the net uh we saw against Bayern Munich they set the tone early by pressing by getting the turn and then immediately striking through Rafia in the half space as I talked about tactically I still had some surprises and I do want to say and make mention to the biggest place that I'm going to circle on the field for Barcelona and we can do this on the tactics board right when we jump over on big up at 3 pm I can even do that as the match is getting started rudal will likely leave some space in behind him and if levandowski can manage to take the attention of Edam Milow there is going to be space in behind whether that's on the left or the right depending on where leowski has moved to now it could be rudiger in the 1 V1 but more likely rudiger is the more reactive of the two center backs for Real Madrid and so I do expect some space in the half spaces to open up particularly between Mendy and I would assume again Ed Milow will be on the left of that back four or for Barcelona attacking at the right next to Mendy so I would assume that milal will be the left Center back and again with meny having contend with luminium all that means that there is a half space available somewhere there Ronnie you said would you trust any subs in the defensive line assuming no injuries Fort Sergio Dominguez uh and uh and Gerard Martine um well kind of but also not really I think I mean this is knocking on all the bits of wood we have that there are no injuries and you don't have to make defensive Subs again this is a game where Christ coming off the bench would have been helpful having a help healthy would have been helpful uh this is a game that I don't think we're going to see Hector fort in it's too big of a moment now we have seen Hy flick trust Yard Martin now we haven't really seen him since even the international break so I'm not truly certain if Gerard Martin would even be trusted in this instance uh in in fact instead I think it's going to be hey that back four can you stay healthy and then late on maybe Gerard Martin comes on to push Alejandra Bal farther forward and as you know a left Winger if Barcelona's up in the game and they're going to sit back in some kind of medium block again this Barcelona team doesn't go into a low block but instead of going all out on the press and keeping that high line if they go up late remember as I keep saying there's no individual just one tactic in this game there's going to be many phases and who wins more of those phases like Real Madrid will have their victories at some point in this match but for Barcelona it's can you win in the phases that you on the front foot Francis do you think hzi flick would be trying to get at least a point a draw would be beneficial to Barcelona 100% it would be uh again if my prediction is not 3 to Barcelona or I I even think that Real Madrid's probably gonna get two goals in this game again they're playing at home they're going to play up doll Classico they scored five against Dortmund on Wednesday so even with those missing pieces I think that this Real Madrid team will be up to this match and so I think they can put two goals past this High Line of Barcelona but you know my prediction I think if I had to I think maybe I said it yesterday maybe I didn't I think I was saving that for here my official prediction I'll put it in the chat here my official prediction is for the first La Liga draw in Barcelona Real Madrid recent history since 2011 which is not recent history the last again I'll repeat that the last Lega draw between Barcelona and Real Madrid came back in 2011 um so I'm going to go with 22 as my uh official prediction so here we're going to sit on this in case any Real Madrid fans come to get me um let's see here what else we got um yeah I mean those who are predicting TJ predicting that Madrid doesn't score I think that says a lot about the former Vinnie Jr uh and I think Vinnie Jr is just going to be a bit too much of a tall task uh overloading that left side with mbappe and with Bellingham um for for kundai um but as I said I think Barcelona also coming into this game in really good form Jonathan you asked how do you think Lum Mall will fa against furland Mendy today he struggled a little bit against him last season in the cup game that's true but I think Barcelona also struggled in that cup game L MO is playing with the utmost confidence right now and furland Mendy to me he has moments he has positive moments of course he's earning the start but I think there are also moments when he hasn't been great Playing For Real Madrid and he has had some struggles against against you know Wingers that are in form and as I was speaking off air with Kevin Williams yesterday for those of you who watch a ton of football let me in the right wing right now I don't care the 17 we're not talking about that we're talking about literally Lal the player and his production and just what he is on the field I would implore anybody who says that he's not a top five Winger on the right side who are the top you know left Winger of course fin Jr he's the in the most inform form right now but on the right wing who has been better in World football right now than than we've seen from L mul so I do trust Lin mul just as a talent against ferland Mendy in this John says who do you think will win the Midfield uh that's what this game is going to come down to I think if Barcelona can they don't have to have like the most possession or win the most balls but if they can get some control by winning 50/50s and then attacking that space that Real Madrid will likely be leaving in behind again especially on that right side if they can switch the ball quickly that being Barcelona there is space to exploit um against Real Madrid and my fear about Real Madrid's left side is that l m is going have to be in deeper positions so how are they that being Barcelona going to be able to attack them I continue to say it's going to likely be just like against Bayern Munich it's going to be long diagonals or uh balls very vertical to Rafia to be able to run on to as I said one of the keys to Rafia getting so much better even under hanzi flick is that you never really see Rafia having the ball play defeat it often times it's him running onto the ball and it seems like they've unlocked the best version of him so as far who's going to win the Midfield I mean it could be as far as what what we're saying who's winning the Midfield is that who's winning the game because I don't think whoever wins that Midfield battle is going to set the precedent um so let me see some other question we got Thomas says how are the battles in the Midfield looking can we keep the ball away from Luca uh Luca Modric to prevent the through ball well again Modric is not starting in this match which is I think a mistake from Carlo anela I could eat my words there but I would have started luuka Modric I think against Barcelona Real Madrid would like to have some kind of control uh and I think they're really going to go all out that being Real Madrid and banking on the fact that they're going to get this first goal both of these lineups and the way that Barson play with that High Line the first goal in this game is just just so Paramount it's it's essential that that I know it sounds silly that it's essential they score first but it will set the precedent on where space will then be found afterwards that said I thought maybe the most impressive thing I've seen under flick so far this season was how this team responded and why I have confidence is that even when Bayern Munich went 1-1 and Bayern had controlled from minute two until minute 21 the way that Barcelona kind of took it on the mouth took it on the chin and then responded to that that 1-1 with a little bit of a tactical shift pushing Caso and pedri a little bit farther forward and then winning balls in better areas you know that that ability to adapt and understand you know multiple phases of the game as I said before uh that's what kind of gives me some confidence in this uh Barcelona team uh yeah a lot of casido if Caso has a huge huge uh big day then it could be a really good day at the office for Barcelona in in totality he was essential along with pedri and leowski I said if it's not for red Rafia and Lal was good too but yeah I mean there was a lot of important pieces against uh Bayern and then the same thing today P BARC it's going to be a huge day for him I mean not a career defining day he's 17 years old but this is a big big game for p bar especially as that right center back because he's going to be consistently attacked and overloaded by mbapp who likes to start on the left as well five Vinnie Jr Bellingham also likes to start on the left and drift in so this is going to be a big test on kubar SE the one thing I do trust about kuari is that as good at pressing as kaminga and chman and that midfield for Real Madrid is I do trust P BARC with the ball at his feet to find the space and especially find the space over the top with which if Real Madrid are going to press with the players that we're talking about there will be space in behind and again that's where I expect Rafia to try to run on to it's going to be a big test for levandowski to try to match what he did against Byron which is hold the ball up really well help to overload the Midfield which again leaves linum all and raenia a bit more open there uh on on the wings for those diagonals so leandi can can come inside a few times and and keep that ball I think good thing good things could happen for Barcelona as well um this could be a big day for $1 uh van you had a few questions here hey Dan as the northeast Native how pumped are you for uh New York Sports from psylvia this want mind you that but um for New York Sports a lot of teams are doing well well I did watch all the Liberty stuff yes um yeah I mean my Mets are out but all focused on Barcelona right now all focused on El Classico Barcelona as everybody knows it's my primary team I don't have a podcast for every New York sport that I that I watch uh you also asked was fine responsible for the lock of control in the first half for Bayern despite his goal contributions I talked about this on the podcast yesterday with Kevin Williams and I want to you know kind of go against if you just watched my five five headlines and didn't listen yesterday to the podcast I did kind of backtrack a little bit because ferine I had said that and this is probably still true there's still truths to this that fine doesn't really win a lot of your 50-50 balls so if there that being Barcelona going to um if they're going to press high and fine is going to be the guy to kind of drop in a little bit and he's not at the point of the attack with levandowski then and it's instead of L M then he's not goingon to win a lot of those again those 50-50 he's not going to win a lot of those balls in the air and I did think you know the lack of winning the ball in the Midfield is what hurt Barcelona in the first 20 minutes I think there was something about ferine alongside you know pedri and Costo that press got better as I also mentioned in the 21st minute um with pedri and CTO but for ferine Lopez as I said he did everything that he was being asked to do and I think a with Rafia even last season I'm going to use that word and people have gotten on me in the YouTube comments about that thing called function that what is Fan's function and yesterday I'll pull up the stat that I had um again what did I have for fering Lopez yesterday let me find it let me find it uh yes so fer Meine I didn't I not even discredited but because I'm generally watching the ball and trying to see what options one and two are I'm not watching those third man runs and ferine off the ball his third man runs off the ball were so important for Barcelona to to have control in that game when they had the ball so even though they that being him he wasn't winning the 50-50s Caso and pendry were winning a lot more of those kundai was stepping into one more Central position and he was winning a few more of those so once Barcelona started even winning their 50-50s FY Lopez off the ball was relentless uh and I was really happy with how hard he was working in those third man runs to create options create space for lamine uh yal to receive the ball and create space for leowski to drop in and receive the ball um and the total stat for ferine in the game was that he only made nine total passes nine total passes completed eight of them and two of them were the assists which were pretty good assists too so I did kind of short change for me a little bit when I did the five headlines and then yesterday as I said it's it's makopa I apologize of fing Lopez um because I wasn't recognizing your game uh as they say and so I think for all the other options to he absolutely um he absolutely deserved the start today so yeah I think foring Lopez was the right choice to start I think it had to be the same group that took it to Bayern Munich uh what other questions we got um let's see here uh let's see Satya Cal we have like seven minutes until I'm going to take a little break then we'll jump over to the the watch Along on big up and for those who are joining me just now let me just grab that real quick put it back in the comment section here yep just pull up a second screen there it is okay so let's see we got a lot of questions here let's try to Rapid Fire not that I don't took not that I don't talk quick enough maybe I should take take a second here um satakam says do you think RAF should drop a bit to help with buildup given that Pena made several UNS unsuccessful long passes against byon in the first half I think that pedri and casido and kubar SE well kubar SE especially there are eno