Barcelona handled Roma 4-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal match Wednesday night at the Nou Camp to all but book their place in the final four. Ivan Rakitić got the start and played 90 minutes in the win; receiving a ‘7’ grade as he “Worked hard and nearly opened the scoring with an effort that struck the post.” Barcelona will surely wrap up the La Liga title in the next six months, have a date with Sevilla in the Copa del Rey Final and now are 90 minutes away from the Champions League semifinals.
Rakitić will have a heavy work load to end the season but his form is looking great now less than 80 days from the start of the World Cup.
Liverpool-Man City Highlights
Dejan Lovren and Liverpool shocked the football world Wednesday night, destroying a Sergio Aguero-less Manchester City side 3-0 at Anfield in Champions League. City can lock up the Premiership title this weekend with a win vs. Manchester United, but barring a miracle comeback next week in the return leg, this city will be labeled a failure.
Lovren played the full 90 minutes and was given a ‘7’ grade as he was “Calm and composed after the break when City exerted pressure.” With Joel Matip out for the season, Lovren will get a heavy work load down the stretch leading up to the World Cup.
Halilovic still looks a selfish player to me. His passing and vision could use some work. Not to say we sometimes don’t need a selfish attacking winger but you can’t just expect a player like that to be accepted into the team without tweaking his style a little.
I like the kid though. I’m definitely pulling for him and would like to see him make the WC squad.
I wouldn’t say Pjaca is unquestionably the starter on the right wing. That spot is still up for grabs with plenty of options.
While Pjaca was much better than Mandzu on the right wing, it was far from convincing. And Halilovic was much better against Real compared to what I saw Pjaca do for Repka on the right wing.
Dalic might try out Rebic on the right wing, or use Kramaric, or even move Perisic over to that spot and have Rebic on the LW.
Of all our wingers, Halilovic is our only natural right sided winger. The other players prefer to play LW. Halilovic should be monitored closely, and hopefully he does enough to earn a call up for a friendly, because I’d love to give him some minutes on the RW.
All in all, I wouldn’t say RW is definitely Pjaca’s spot, still up in the air, and my major concern about him is that he’s not playing so much–he didn’t even get on the field today.
Perišić and Pjaca are unquestionably the starters on the wing.
I wouldn’t put Rebić ahead of Halilović right now, simply because of that creativity factor that becomes so useful when the offence becomes stale. Halilović can do this, Rebić cannot.
But those two should be the two backups (with Brekalo being given a chance in the friendlies too).
I would never play Mandžo or Brozović on the wing again.
Will say this, the future could be really nice on the right. With Halilovic cutting in from the right, and Vrsaljko overlapping in the space Halilovic leaves behind…Exactly how a 4-2-3-1 is supposed to be played.
That said, I still start Perisic and Pjaca over Halilovic on right.
I think Halilovic is right behind Perisic and Rebic right now.
Pjaca needs to get back in form to be ahead of him.
He’s not great yet, but I think he’s a lot better than Mandukic, Brozovic, Rakitic and even Kramaric on the right wing.
Halilović is exactly the kind of offensive spark we need coming off the bench.
Not garbage like Duje Ćop.
Horvat,
Thanks for sharing the video.
Halilovic played an amazing game against Real Madrid. Even Modric had some difficulties to stop him.
I’m pretty sure that Modric will convince Dalic to include Halilovic in the roster for Russia 2018. He could be important for us.
thanks for your compliment crnkovic to my post beforehand, about how to make strategy efficient not only just effective because of less chance that you get to convert a goal!
I try to mention some players like:
– Rebic & Kramaric
with some lacking in dribble and receive a pass
– Halilovic Pjaca Kovacic
with lack accuracy in passing
could cost our team for creating a chance, even Mandzukic Badelj Brozovic who we know they are slow and can’t dribble properly can create more chance because they can pass accurately!
so what should we do:
1) knowing their potential and weakness
2) covering area strategy and make it efficient
3) looking for a true finisher
number 3 is the most important factor to consider ->
Kalinic Kramaric Mandzukic or whatever at least we know their job only for scoring goals and won’t do anything else
@croperson85. You got that right. That was sick. Person needs help immediately. Not normal!
Glad to see the nasty Simunic comment regarding his daughter deleted. Good job guys, there’s no place for that sort of stuff.
Don’t understand all the Halilovic bashers. The kid has potential to be very good, if not great! I would start him on the wing over Mandukic any day!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9HMIHNICYJw
I’ll tell you who is special!
Hank and Dank Sedin!!
Magic!
Pep is nothing special. If he was half as special as he thinks he is, he would’ve never lost a game yet
Simunic I did not know looked him up ..bosanac hrvat..lot of our cros on this site I know ..ancestors are from bosna (ancestral home)It’s sad to see what has become of our true lands.Some frigin fat ugly Muslim mujo convicted war criminal…extradicted from Oregon usa.killed 20 hrvats south bosnia 93.. . female extradited.. piece of govno.Frig 2 devils in 1 house yugo chetniks an muz in bosnia.So,god bless all us hrvats..
Crnkovic, there’s a few coaches that won championships with a far lesser team…Mourinho is one of them while Pep lost with a very stacked Bayern Munich and a very stacked Man City!
Oh my. So sorry to hear that. Condolences
I hear you crnkovic. Me either. Lol
@canuckcro. Absolutely condolences to the simunic family.
Pep never has a plan B.
Some of team selections against Liverpool were absolute head-scratchers.
Simunic former national player ..sad news his 3 year old daughter passed away ..my condolences and on behalf of all our hrvat national soccer team supporters..hearts go out to joe and his family.
Zee nice one my brother. i rant in my sleep. don’t know what i’d without this site. because nobody wants to listen in my real world LOL
@soul champ and @crnkovic. Soul for sure hope lovren does well almost like his Southampton days. He will. I’m a believer. Crnkovic great posting always a pleasure to read. Thanks man!
Peder Pep … Di si dubre?
@ Poglavnik
“Come on Lovren-pool!
Knock Pep of his f**kin’ perch!”
Lovren-pool!
@ Svima
If you are not rooting for Lovren to play well the rest of the way then you truly an enemy of state.
Him and Corluka compliment each other and Vida is right there if Corluka tires or Lovren gets upducted by mind benders again.
or make them work a week on a construction site or as a janitor. a guy building a football stadium needs full concentration 10 hours a day. he slips he falls to his death. 90 minutes guys. 90 fucking minutes Dejan thats all it is. concentrate for 90 minutes 2 times a week. focused and relaxed. Yoga, i’d have them all doing yoga. that shit works. i’d have them doing yoga. they don’t turn up? they dont take it serious? bang one week wages fine. these guys supposed to represent the very best in us. too much money. too much bullshit. not enough cojones. not enough discipline. not enough humility, not enough joy. sometimes the old players are the best, not because of experience but because after all the cars and girlfriends and bullshit of one kind and another they realise that they are footballers. people who love football. they think shit this wont go on forever and start to really play age 31/32 just before their legs go….
liverpool are a great team. klopp is also a one trick pony. so is mourinho, so is wenger…better a one trick pony than a no trick pony like some of the other managers out there who we wont mention here…guardiola has vision, a particular vision and philosophy. he has adapted it somewhat to the premier league and is smashing it. also the players he has at city are nowhere near the barca level. raheem sterling vs messi? ok de bruyne and sane yes, aguero yes, kompany yes…how many others would get near the barcelona team under guardiola? so with inferior players in a much tougher league he is walking the title!! quite a trick. sometimes football is paper scissors rock. liverpool lost to man utd the other day, beat man city last night. man city will clinch the league at the weekend by beating man utd. thats football. i’m not a fan of guardiola as a person, his personality. but as a coach he deserves enormous respect.
BTW why does this website have so many strange people posting as anonymous or with made up names?? how come so many juvenile cowards? are they jealous serbs or inadequate croats? come out already. don’t be scared, no one is going to hurt you
yeah agree on lovren Slavonac but hoping he has had one of those life changing episodes, an epiphany. I have alway sthought that if i were the manager of a team i would take them into the jungle of south america or africa, give them some really strong herbal tea and leave them in the hands of a spiritual healer or shaman. see the universe. ego death and resurrection. see how small and insignificant they are in the scheme of things, let go, start all over again. after 2 or 3 days throw them a football and say “hey guys, any of you know how to kick this thing? lets have some fun. you only live once” but unfortunately that wouldn’t be allowed. the agents might not be happy about that. the WAGS. the media circus. the shopping malls and #tweets……show your tattoos to the jaguar dejan, is the jaguar impressed with what a tough guy you are? No, but you can play football. so do that
hehehe
pep was distraught when eh found out he couldn’t spend 300 million at half time
How many of you here are feeling the same thing as I am regarding Pep Guardiola and his Man City? This truly demonstrates he’s a one-trick pony!
Lovren has the physique and aptitude to be a great player, his weakness is his mind, nothing else.
if lovren continues the rest of the season as he did against city last night then he has proved himself to start at the world cup. big games coming up for liverpool against the worlds best. he will be tested in every way. lets see how he does. a leopard cannot change its spots but sometimes humans finally grow up and get over themselves…or their problems
Nobody wants to know or cares what you think Truth Troll
Maybe this 3-0 lead just gives lovren the opportunity for the crown jewel of his bone-head-play career?.
I thinks are still against…. But come on…. Don’t tell me you can’t imagine a world where lovren gives up 2 goals on stupid plays that end up putting city through
big kudos for rakitic:
http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2018/04/04/5ac54572268e3e59478b4609.html
Rakitic dominated Roma tonight…was huge!!
Thumbs up for Lovren.
Very solid display.
Let’s see if he looks shaky in Manchester though.
lovren near perfect today
Rakitic looked pretty good today as well.
to all the Lovren haters. He played fantastic today.
Yes he can make bone head mistakes but to say Corluka (at his age) or Vida are better is naive.
Lovren has his challenges but he is a starter on our WC team.
what a disappointing season for city, league is not enough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y78oMK6InCU
SALAHHHHH OXLAID-CHAMBERLAIN MANEEEEEEEEEE
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
LIVERPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
Come on Lovren-pool!
Knock Pep of his f**kin’ perch!
Just saw that they play each other. Didn’t make it as far as the schedule. How salty would that be Man U lost??
People can feel free to check out my facebook timeline to get information the mainstream media will never show.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100017497296693
Sick video!!!
Supposedly, they have been able to clone people from 1949. Here is the proof!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BOlIhPAgyaY
with a win on Saturday lol……city v united @ante
They can if United lose…
Pretty sure they can lock up the Prem with a win on Saturday.