[lichtie23]

The 2nd and 3rd El Clasico's of the season will take place in the Copa Del Rey with the 1st leg being from the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night and the return from the Nou Camp on The 25th.

Predictions? Will it be another Messi masterclass or will Ronaldo be able to inspire Madrid to a semi final berth?

[HEY_SIDNEY]

Both teams to win their respective home legs.

Barca edging it overall.

Was gonna say 'hope the games are good'....pretty pointless tbh.......they're the best in the world......going to be class

This post has been edited by HEY_SIDNEY: 17 January 2012 - 06:25

[lichtie23]

Barca usually give the fringe players a run out in this competition.

Anyone think they will continue with this against there biggest rivals?

[dave258]

lichtie23, on 17 January 2012 - 06:01, said:

The 2nd and 3rd El Clasico's of the season will take place in the Copa Del Rey with the 1st leg being from the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night and the return from the Nou Camp on The 25th.

Predictions? Will it be another Messi masterclass or will Ronaldo be able to inspire Madrid to a semi final berth?

4th and 5th surely... They played a 2 legged Spanish Super Cup at the start of the season, Barca winning out 5-3 (or thereabouts) on aggregate.

[capybara]

lichtie23, on 17 January 2012 - 08:08, said:

Barca usually give the fringe players a run out in this competition.

Anyone think they will continue with this against there biggest rivals?

I was talking about this last night. They often play Pinto in goals , i think they still will. But i would expect the rest of the team to be along the usual lines. Both teams went hammer and tongs last season.

[GingerSaint]

lichtie23, on 17 January 2012 - 08:08, said:

Barca usually give the fringe players a run out in this competition.

Anyone think they will continue with this against there biggest rivals?

Do they? I always thought they played pretty much their first team in every competition. Pinto always plays in the Copa Del Rey though.

The only game Pinto has been in goals against Real Madrid, is Guardiola's only loss to Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid.

[HibeeJibee]

Have Barca not played pretty strong XIs in the Copa traditional, and certainly this season?

First leg v Hospitalet was played on a FIFA date (due to the knock-on effect of Club World Cup commitments), but with Spain not involved in Euro 2012 play-offs lined-up:

Quote

13 Pinto4 Fabregas5 Puyol6 Xavi7 David Villa8 Iniesta15 Keita19 Maxwell24 Fontás28 Jonathan37 Tello

16 Sergio Iniesta (62')34 Rafinma Fabregas (75')

Return leg (which they won 9-0), just after returning from Japan:

Quote

13 Pinto3 Piqué4 Fabregas5 Puyol6 Xavi8 Iniesta11 Thiago16 Sergio17 Pedro24 Fontás39 Cuenca

30 Sergi Roberto Iniesta (30') 37 Tello Xavi (40')28 Jonathan Sergio (56')

Teams v Osasuna:

Quote

13 Pinto2 Dani Alves3 Piqué4 Fabregas5 Puyol6 Xavi11 Thiago14 Mascherano16 Sergio17 Pedro39 Cuenca
10 Messi Pedro (59')9 Alexis Cuenca (71') 15 Keita Fabregas (87')

Quote

13 Pinto3 Piqué9 Alexis11 CESAR14 Mascherano17 Pedro21 Adriano24 Fontás30 Sergi Roberto35 Montoya39 Cuenca

22 Abidal Fontás (14')10 Messi Alexis (59')16 Sergio Pedro (70')

Pretty decent line-ups.

[HibeeJibee]

Incidentally... given the hue-and-cry last season over the repetitiveness of the Old Firm meeting 7 times: does the fact El Classico is being played 6 times and potentially (depending on the Champions League) 7 or 8 times this season, also render Spain a "diddy league" ?

[Cowden til i die]

We played Alloa 8 times in season 2009/10. SFL 2, Europe's best league.

[HibeeJibee]

Don't want to go off-topic... might start an Infowire thread infact... but what's the Scottish record for playing some X times in 1 season?

You could currently manage 10 times in the Second or Third divisions; infact 11 if they came from an area still with a 1st-team regional cup, and you counted it.

[lichtie23]

Is there not a rule that they must play so many 1st teamers in the Copa Del Rey?

[Cowden til i die]

HibeeJibee, on 17 January 2012 - 12:04, said:

Don't want to go off-topic... might start an Infowire thread infact... but what's the Scottish record for playing some X times in 1 season?

You could currently manage 10 times in the Second or Third divisions; infact 11 if they came from an area still with a 1st-team regional cup, and you counted it.

I think there is a thread somewhere. Since the leagues went 12,10,10,10 I reckon that 8 is a record.

[fueradejuego]

lichtie23, on 17 January 2012 - 12:06, said:

Is there not a rule that they must play so many 1st teamers in the Copa Del Rey?

Yes, you must play at least 7 members of your first team squad.

This excludes you from temporarily promoting your entire B team for just one game. You can of course promote B teamers but you must still play at least 7 players from your A squad.

Barca will play Pinto in goals and beyond that it will most likely be a full strength team and I would expect Real to adopt a similar position.

[HibeeJibee]

Are their first-team squads capped like England, e.g. at 25 players?

[fueradejuego]

HibeeJibee, on 17 January 2012 - 13:13, said:

Are their first-team squads capped like England, e.g. at 25 players?

I am sure that they are capped but not the exact figure - I think it may be 24 but not 100% on that one.

The main problem in determining this is that even B team players have squad numbers in the main squad.

So Isaac Cuenca had a squad number for when he played with the main team before his promotion from the B team.


Swampy or Dev Alahan may be able to confirm the maximum squad size.

[Cyber_soccer]

fueradejuego, on 17 January 2012 - 13:02, said:

Yes, you must play at least 7 members of your first team squad.

This excludes you from temporarily promoting your entire B team for just one game. You can of course promote B teamers but you must still play at least 7 players from your A squad.

Barca will play Pinto in goals and beyond that it will most likely be a full strength team and I would expect Real to adopt a similar position.

Jose will be delighted by that. Bombscare of a goalkeeper.

[fueradejuego]

Cyber_soccer, on 17 January 2012 - 13:38, said:

Jose will be delighted by that. Bombscare of a goalkeeper.

But a good friend of Messi so he gets a 1 year contract extension each year.

He's a decent enough back up keeper - no more and no less.

[forameus]

Will these both be on Sky Sports? I was hoping there'd be a big match when I was down in London working, as I only realised last time I was down that the hotel room gets Sky Sports - makes me feel mighty silly for relying on BBC Livetext for Man Utd's ECC game against Chelsea last year...

[fueradejuego]

forameus, on 17 January 2012 - 14:57, said:

Will these both be on Sky Sports? I was hoping there'd be a big match when I was down in London working, as I only realised last time I was down that the hotel room gets Sky Sports - makes me feel mighty silly for relying on BBC Livetext for Man Utd's ECC game against Chelsea last year...

1st leg live on Sky tomorrow night with 9pm KO.

I am sure Sky will have the second leg as well on the 25th. KO to be confirmed.

[craigkillie]

I'm not sure if they can afford to risk Pinto.

If he starts the game then who do Barcelona have to get involved in a fight on the touchline?

[Dave]

craigkillie, on 17 January 2012 - 17:12, said:

If he starts the game then who do Barcelona have to get involved in the fight on the touchline?

Fixed. It is Barca/Real after all...

[forameus]

That's what I was thinking too. Admittedly I don't watch much La Liga, but the only thing I know of Pinto doing is nutting someone. Fantastic.

[LinkinFighter]

Really looking forward to this one

[sergie's no1 fan]

I hope we talk about this game for footballing reasons with a few stunning goals.

Sadly it'll be another circus show with the likes of Alves,Di Maria and Pepe taking the main roles.

[Jimmy85]

I assume you've all forgotten that it's Dunfermline v Inverness on SS1?