its good to know that yourself and puke have each other!! the real idiot is the guy who claims that his week was made due to the impending return of a professional soccer player from injury. (and an average one at that). oh yeah eto’o scored again tonight.
Scored again? You clearly didn’t watch much of the season.
Another odd looking lineup from Pep following the Alves further forward experiment last week. Not sure if Maxwell is going to be playing in a more advanced area with Puyol at left back or what. I haven’t seen who’s on the bench yet but Zlatan was meant to be involved anyway.
Barcelona:
Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Milito, Puyol; Busquests, Xavi, Keita; Messi, Pedro, Maxwell
Unless Piqué is playing up top Robert Huth style then I can’t see any other way of them lining up. They may alternate Maxwell and Alves up there and switch Puyol around at the back.
Zlatan on the bench alright.
Along with Pinto [gk], Marquez, Krkic, Henry, Keita and Chygrynsky
Toure’s in there instead of Keita - must have got injured in the warm up or something.
Busquets is developing into a quality footballer. Was good last season but showed his inexperience a fair bit. Started this season better without always imposing himself but since Christmas or so he’s been excellent.
Milito has been posted missing a few times already when Espanyol have broken quickly. He’s also still vulnerable to pressing. Teams know they have to press high against Barca, now they’re finding out that the more aggressively you forecheck Milito, the better the better the chance of getting the ball in a decent area. He’s played a few reckless passes.
Better spell now from Barca in the last 10 minutes.
Xavi far more involved and they’re just being clever in allowing Espanyol to rush up and then working it around them.
Good save at the end from Valdes.
Gonna miss this fucking second half now. Game has improved as it’s gone on. Stupid fucking cinema.
That’s a great save by Valdes; he’s been way above his usual standard this season. Huge workrate by Espanyol with high energy and pressing and stopping Barca from clicking into gear. This is the type of game where Zlatan’s needed given he can take in more direct passes, get others playing off him and allow the defence to push 15 yards up the pitch.
agreed, thought he was outstanding in the first leg against Arsenal a couple of weeks ago…seems to have lost that bit of recklessness about himself
Henry and Keita for Milito and Touré. I imagine Zlatan isn’t ready yet. Dani Alves off for a second yellow there - possibly a bit unlucky but he gave a slight push as he was turned. The new Espanyol stadium is pretty intimidating; they’re well behind the home side and the tackles are flying in.
Another horrible cameo by Henry here - he really looks done and should piss off to Major League Soccer in the summer.*
- I reserve the right to withdraw this post should he score the winner shortly.
Espanyol well deserved the draw there. Zlatan getting the last ten minutes was about the only positive for Barca tonight.
zlatan is rubbish. will be out the door in the summer. probably to some piss pot club like celtic.
you try too hard
Marcelino’s got a face only a mother could love.
Tidy finish by the 2010 World Cup winning centre forward to put the filth 1-0 up.
I think we should look at this at a positive. We even have Thierry Henry tuning in to TFK to get the definitive scoop on Spanish football. 
(This is the only plausible outcome I can see for this motivated attack on a top European striker like Zlatan)