Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
With Catalonia experiencing torrential climate, it’s in Barcelona’s greatest curiosity that their subsequent sport is on the highway. Nevertheless, Wednesday night time’s conflict is just not scheduled for any mere stadium however one in every of soccer’s most daunting arenas.
Tomorrow night time, Hansi Flick’s males return to motion within the UEFA Champions League. Having taken aside Bayern Munich of their final outing within the competitors, they’re the heavy favourites however they face an in-form Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade.
The Serbian giants could have endured a tough begin to their marketing campaign within the UEFA Champions League, however they’re unbeaten within the Mozzart Guess Superliga and sit on 37 factors after 13 video games with 12 wins and a draw.
Moreover, Crvena Zvezda are ten factors away from the second-placed OFK Beograd and have scored 43 targets and conceded simply eight. Compared, Barcelona have scored 40 targets and conceded eleven targets in 12 league video games.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Crimson Star Belgrade vs Barcelona.
Flick’s excessive requirements
“I informed the crew I might settle for the second half as a result of they’ve achieved nice work till now, however I received’t settle for one thing like this on Wednesday,” Hansi Flick informed the media after Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Espanyol on Sunday night time.
In spite of everything, the hosts had been dominating the proceedings within the Catalans derby on the night time, taking the sport to Espanyol’s field and placing the outcome to mattress by going 3-0 up within the first half.
What adopted after the break, nonetheless, was uncharacteristic from the league leaders. Whereas they didn’t err considerably, they misplaced full management of the proceedings and handed Espanyol the impetus.
With misplayed passes, uninspired strain off the ball and an unstable double-pivot, the opponents noticed extra of the ball than Barcelona would have favored and threatened to get again into the sport.
For sure, it didn’t go down effectively with Flick and the supervisor was very clear together with his phrases that he won’t settle for the identical in tomorrow’s sport.
The German tactician’s system is certainly very demanding and maintaining that degree of power and focus twice every week is unsustainable.
Nevertheless, Barcelona have maintained full management of video games as a rule this time period and can look to get again into the identical zone tomorrow in a troublesome sport. The main target, thus, is just not solely on the outcome however the dominance of the crew on Wednesday.
A begin for Frenkie de Jong?
A begin for Frenkie de Jong? (Picture by David Ramos/Getty Photos)
Frenkie de Jong was strongly rumoured to be a starter within the Catalan derby, however the supervisor positioned him on the bench on the night time – handing Marc Casado, Pedri and Dani Olmo the tickets as an alternative.
The Dutchman did certainly come on within the second half to interchange Casado, however he failed to carry up the double-pivot alongside Pedri and seemed a shadow of the model he displayed in El Clasico.
It’s thus clear that Casado is an irreplaceable starter for Barcelona whereas Olmo is undeniably the crew’s greatest attacking midfielder by far. The query thus erupts over the third place in midfield the place Flick could think about a rotation.
On any regular day, Pedri could be the very best positioned to affix the aforementioned duo. Prioritising rotations, nonetheless, it might be the very best time for the supervisor to name upon De Jong to fill in alongside Casado tomorrow night time.
The captain has featured in 5 of Barcelona’s six video games after his return from damage however is but to document a begin, and Belgrade would be the place the place he’s lastly entrusted with the duty.
Not solely will it assist the participant garner extra confidence as he returns to his greatest but in addition present Pedri some much-needed relaxation within the hectic calendar.
An environment to overcome
Crvena Zvezda are one in every of Jap Europe’s most iconic sides in its personal proper and boast of one of the vital terrifying stadiums in world soccer and an environment that may make even the very best crumble.
Crvena Zvezda and Barcelona final confronted off 28 years in the past as their final official sport was again in 1996 when their nation was nonetheless referred to as Yugoslavia.
Through the years, the Serbian crew’s residence floor – Stadium Rajko Mitic – has seen a number of particular video games, however a relentless function via these nights was the unbelievable environment that amps up the strain.
Few stadiums in Europe have the aura that their residence floor exhibits with voices roaring down ruthlessly on the opposition and turning the venue right into a strain cooker the place even the very best are pressured into errors.
Crvena Zvezda have misplaced all three of their European video games thus far and are just about in a must-win scenario if they’re to maintain their qualification hopes alive.
For sure, the venue shall be housefull tomorrow with the supporters having an additional cause to induce their males ahead on an evening when they’re the clear underdogs.
It’ll thus be an enormous check for Barcelona’s comparatively inexperienced and younger core who are usually not uncovered to enjoying in such stadiums. If they’ll maintain their nerve, the Catalans may effectively cruise to a win.
As learnt from the sport towards Monaco, nonetheless, a single slip-up is sufficient to make them pay.
