Thanks, I just have 7 merits left. So far I am very excited to see all members here is very considerate and support to help each other member to rank up. and I hope for those who already ranked up is not to forget us who still need them, because who else besides them to rain the merits here? It all starts with yourself, the quality of your posts, the efforts your put in, and so on. Even if people send you merit, it's their way of appreciating your effort and determination to improve the quality of your posts. Now that you've been promoted to Sr Member, that's great, but there are still 2 other ranks that you also have to look forward to in the future. So congratulations, and continue to improve your quality. |
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They have not just won but also keep a clean game with allowing opponents scoring and tearing up the defense tonight, one must admit that Barcelona are gradually regaining themselves from the problems and setbacks they found themselves with Koeman as coach of Barcelona.
The win last night wasn't enough but that's a good game still making preparations for the big meet up again Manchester United.
That game will be on Le of the best test for Xavi to test how good tactics he has in Europe. Barcelona really played well at home against Real Sociedad for the Copa Del Rey. And of course, they deserved to win it. It's just that Barcelona failed to score more than 1 goal because Sociedad's defense and goalkeeper played well even after only playing with 10 players since the end of the first half. There were some good chances, but they were only denied due to the pace of the defense and the good work of Alejandro Remiro as keeper. Barcelona controlled the game in possession where they had more than 70% ball possession compared to Sociedad. The great thing about this match was that Dembele started to show his capacity as striker by daring to take lots of shots at goal and one of them was goal. But it came close, Marc-André ter Stegen made blunder that almost conceded just before the end of the second half, but he managed to save it with great save. |
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it's too much weird if lose at home next. I don't know what happens in the squad, it looks like Chelsea need a new coach to manage the squad because when I look at the details, they don't have a problem with each line, and all component is good, maybe potter doesn't put a player in the best position. It's not weird to find Chelsea losing at home, while Chelsea have lost 2 and drawn 2 at home this season. But when Fulham are the opponents, then it might be bad to lose. Of course, Chelsea is still better in quality than Fulham, but Fulham has really done very good job this season. Fulham have won 4 of their 10 away match this season, and perhaps that is proof that Chelsea should not underestimate the team that Shahid Khan owns. Fulham had beaten Chelsea in the previous match with 2-1. At that time Chelsea played with 10 players after João Félix was sent off with red card. But for the second meeting, Fulham may not be expected but can always surprise everyone with their good performance. |
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I can't agree that Barcelona doesn't care about winning the Europa League title. Because Xavi's career as a coach has just begun. However, Xavi's main goal now is to stabilize and strengthen the Barcelona team. And for this, he spent a lot of money to recruit star players. But at the same time, he will also wants to win the title. The Europa League title may not matter much to the Barcelona club. But it is important for Xavi's coaching career. And so I think Xavi will now prepare his squad to win both the La Liga and Europa League titles. Of course, I think that's an assumption that actually doesn't make sense. Meanwhile Barcelona is also fighting for another title where they have just qualified for the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey after winning the match against Real Sociedad. So Barcelona really shouldn't ignore any opportunities as long as they still have the possibility of winning the title, let alone the Europa League title. The Europa League title means more to Barcelona and Xavi after they failed to qualify for the Champions League. So I never thought that Xavi and Barcelona would ignore and underestimate him even if the Europa League is not bigger than the Champions League. Xavi seems very enthusiastic about the possibility of the Europa League in his cupboard this season, so I think he will be 100% there this season. |
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I haven't seen Milan defense this much weak for a long time. This season something is going really wrong with them about defending. Lazio were so comfortable in the attacking line. For example the second goal was due to Dest's not being able to keep up with Lazio's passes in his wing. I didn't like his defensive performance much in this match in general. When the score was 2-0 Milan actually had two important chances to score. Bennacer's goal attempt by a free-kick was lovely but the ball went out by a small margin. Leao also couldn't make use of a critical chance.
Conceding the 3rd goal was the thing ending Milan's hopes about a comeback. Milan's priority should be to fix their defensive issues now. Not much different from Inter, Milan's defense is also very weak this season. Definitely not good statistic for them. If last season Milan only conceded 31 from all Serie A matches until the end of the season, then this season they have conceded 24 goals in just 19 matches. It's true that Milan have had problems in defense this season, and it should be for them to fix them as soon as possible. At least I still think Milan can maintain its position to qualify for the Champions League next season, but for the Scudetto I'm sure Milan have given up. Chasing 12 points from Napoli is not an easy task, even though it is still possible to get Napoli to lose in the next 19 matches. |
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As I recall, Barcelona also failed in the Europa League last season, even though the chances are almost the same as this season and I think you know who won the Europa League title last season. If Barcelona is strong enough this season Barcelona should not be in the Europa League but in a competition that is greater than the Europa League. It doesn't matter how weak Barcelona is this season in your opinion, but this season's competition for Barcelona in the Champions League is much fiercer than any other Spanish team except Sevilla. Bayern Munich and Inter are the two teams that Barcelona have found difficult to beat in the group stages, but that also does not prove that Barcelona are no better than last season even though in the end the Europa League is the only hope left for Barcelona on the European stage this season. I think it's ridiculous to continue to assume that Barcelona's failure in the Champions League this season is because they are not better than the previous season. You have to consider several things, including Barcelona's financial situation and squad depth. But it's up to you, you are free to give your opinion about any situation for Barcelona. |
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So far there are 8 of the best teams still in the quarter final of the Copa Del Rey this season. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are the favourites, but I think Atletico Madrid's fight to qualify for the next round should end at the hands of Real Madrid especially since these two are involved in quarter final clash. So maybe I should change the assumption that Atletico Madrid are not the favorites if they can't beat Real Madrid. I think some of the teams that will qualify for the semi-finals are Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Real Madrid. But to be honest, I'm not underestimating Atletico Madrid, Osasuna, Valencia and Real Sociedad at this stage. Real Madrid vs Barcelona final is certainly expected again for the Copa Del Rey, but this is not necessarily because teams like Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid can also surprise during round of quarter final. |
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Marseille is indeed more convincing than Lens, it's just that they are also often unpredictable, sometimes in one game they are too bad, so they can't win points in this match. Now the point gap between them is not too big, leaving only 2 points from Lens, and 5 points from Paris Saint Germain. It would be great if we see this competition until the end of the season, and these two teams, Lens and also Marseille are showing high consistency to keep pressing Paris Saint Germain who are at the top of the standings. Lens are the home strongest team this season, I mean Lens won 100% of their home match so far and are the only team unbeaten at home. For some reason Lens really wanted to maintain their good record at home, even though they were only able to win 3 of their 9 away matches. Lens are looking better this season but they are unlikely to win on the away match. Meanwhile, Marseille are the better team away from home, where they have won 6 of their 9 matches so far. I also believe that Marseille is better than Lens, but Lens have proven that they can be the second team behind PSG. It will be interesting to see who will qualify for the Champions League directly this season between Lens and Marseille, but these 3 teams are close in points to fight for places even for the title. |
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Of course Tottenham did not want to lose like the first game. Tottenham lost 2-4, but at that time they had to play at the Etihad. Tomorrow is a little different because they will play at Tottenham stadium. So of course they have a chance to win, although I believe they will have a hard time dealing with Man City's pattern of play. There should be a difference between playing at home versus away for Tottenham. Tottenham have won 6 of their 10 home matches this season in which they have also conceded 15 goals. Maybe not something great, but Tottenham have won more than half of it. Meanwhile, Manchester City have lost 10 points from away matches where they have lost 2 and drawn 2 of 9 matches. Also that's not a good thing, but Manchester City are the favorites in that match. I believe Manchester City will do their best to catch Arsenal who are getting consistent, but of course things won't go perfect if Tottenham play better and more effectively. |
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You are correct about how strong the competition in La Liga is this season, only 17-18 matches have been played in La Liga this season, but we can already see that the challenge for the title may go on until the last match of the La Liga season, every point now is so important for the two teams challenging themselves for the title, and that's barcelona and real madrid, anyone of them that drops points leaves an opportunity for the other to add or cut the gap. There is also competition for the top four, Athletico madrid have to be careful so they won't miss the champions league next season, they are 4th now, but Villarreal and Real Betis are very close to them and can go above them if they make any small mistake. 4th place is not safe, meaning that Atletico Madrid is not safe at all considering that they are on the same points as Villarreal at the moment. Real Betis might also be able to match the points of the two teams above it because they have 1 game in hand. So you are right about some of things, especially about how these teams have been able to maintain their position in the table. Barcelona and Real Madrid are competing for the title, while others are competing to qualify for the Champions League. Competition is tight because Barcelona is leading the standings this season, that's because Real Madrid doesn't want to be behind Barcelona for too long. |
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This is happening today and is a really unique happening as Inter has always been the dominating side even when they were not in the top 4 in other seasons,they have almost always won against Empoli.So far they are not being concrete to score goals and the coach normally had sacrificed some attacker in favor of a midfielder or defender to balance the game but now this is not valid anymore so I hope the coach goes all in by changing his scheme to play in the most attacking mode as Lautaro and Dzeko have been on fire lately and they can manage to score at least an equalizer in such a short time that remains. But what would happen if Inter had to lose their home match today. Inter had to play with 10 men since Milan Škriniar's red card in the first half. While this time Empoli managed to steal a goal against Inter that put it 0-1 up, and Paolo Zanetti will probably be hoping for a good defense for the rest of the match. I think Inter will lose this match because Empoli only need a few more minutes to end the match with win. And this is really a loss for Inter after playing very well against Milan in the Italian Super Cup final. |
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Tottenham are a physical team, but Fulham players are not looking to be bullied. Fulham have had good chances and are controlling the game. Tottenham have been slow and as usual are playing with dependence on the top players in their team but Fulham are playing more like a team. Fulham to win this game if they score more than two goals in this first half and it is not looking impossible because Fulham are playing better football at the moment (25 minutes into the game). I don't think anyone will underestimate Fulham if they watch this match. Fulham played well in the first half, but unfortunately they had to concede before the end of the first half. Fulham's game was quick, while Tottenham capitalized on their chance with great finish from Harry Kane. Winning 0-1 over Fulham of course did not make Tottenham safe, so if you really want to secure victory then you need to work hard to withstand Fulham's onslaught in the second half. There is still the second half to see what Fulham can do at home. I think they can score goals, but it must be difficult to stop Tottenham who really want to win this match so that their losing streak is broken. |
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PSG have a match against Pay De Cassel today for the Coupe de France. It was an easy match for PSG, who had played Neymar and Mbappe from the start.
Mbappe has scored 4 goals so far, and the other 2 goals were scored by Neymar and Soller. Winning 0-6 over the opposing team will make PSG reach the round of 16.
Perhaps it would be good to wish these players some motivation and a good mood ahead of the match against Reims next week. PSG are required to get into their best form again after suffering 2 defeats in their last 3 matches. Now they are only 3 points ahead of Lens, and that is really not a good thing.
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At the end, Arsenal FC wins again, so the odds were not successful. After 17 minutes it looked good, but it didn't take long for United. If you look at the statistics, Arsenal shots 25 times on the goalgetter and United only 6 times, so that shows how hard Arsenal fight for the win. United score the first goals against Arsenal this year. Manchester City also won today, but Arsenal took another good step forward to the championship. Even though Manchester United scored 2 goals in that match, in reality they tend to defend more often because Arsenal's gameplay is really good. Arsenal looked superior in terms of ball possession, game technique and number of chances, and that's why they won the match. I won't say anything because Arsenal are in their best form, but I still hope that Manchester City can trim Arsenal's points by maximizing all matches with a win. It's always possible to expect Arsenal to slip up before the end of the season, and here Manchester City can't lose much either. There is still a chance even though Arsenal are highly favored this season. |
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I hope there will be some improvement in PSG defense until their Bayern Munich matches.
Because I don't like their defending style for some weeks. They concede goals really easily against capable teams. This even leads to point losses for them in the league. Bayern Munich is a much bigger challenge for them obviously. Maybe they are very strong in offense thanks to the great trio. But they need to strengthen their defending at the same time. Otherwise they can have big problems in that matchup. Bayern Munich haven't lost much from their productivity after selling Lewandowski. Conseder that Bayern Munich's goal productivity is really high, then of course it's only natural that you expect Christophe Galtier to be able to review and improve his team's defense. PSG are easy to concede because of their lack of anticipation in defence, but I think that's the case at the moment. Not only can PSG hope for their trio's performance to win while they are weak defensively, it must be difficult to maintain victory even if they score goals. So far PSG have relied on Juan Bernat as left back because Nuno Mendes is still injured. It is expected that Nuno Mendes will be able to start against Bayern Munich in mid-February, and that is possibility. Marquinhos, Ramos, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi are the best defense in my opinion, but unfortunately Mendes has not recovered where he is expected to be at the end of January. |
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I think it wasn't the right move for Barcelona to let go of Memphis Depay this easy. I didn't see any reason for them to give up on him as well. They needed a substitute striker in absence of Lewandowski in the end. Today can be a good example for that. Lewandowski couldn't play due to being suspended. Fati was playing in his place. He is mainly a winger you know. Their opponent was a comfortable one of course and they still defeated Getafe in Camp Nou. But they could have scored more goals if they had Depay or Lewandowski.
Atletico Madrid have made a good signing by the way. It was for replacing Felix I assume and Depay was one of the best alternatives available. I hope to see him making a good contribution during the rest of the season. I also wonder why Barcelona let Depay go when they don't have a striker (CF) apart from Lewandowski. Indeed, so far Depay has not gotten the main place in the team, but Barcelona should have kept him because of a shortage of strikers. Barcelona has finally managed to maintain its positive trend without losing in the last 8 matches after losing to Real Madrid in El Clasico. Barcelona really did what they should have done, even if today they only scored 1 goal. I really regret Lewandowski's absence, but it has made it difficult for Barcelona to score more than 1 goal. But for whatever, the most important thing is that they win because the 3 points are really important to stay in first place. |
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Ancelotti always surprises in several matches, Ancelotti is always calm in responding to the defeats he has experienced, I saw how in the first half they were really pressured by Villarreal, so that Real Madrid's game did not develop at all. After Ceballos and Asensio entered Real Madrid slowly making changes and managed to make a comeback, Ancelotti had to evaluate the defense because in that match they had difficulty intercepting when Villarreal players built attacks. He seemed like a selfish coach before by not bringing in any players his team really needed. We know that Real Madrid's defense hasn't been great this season, but I don't see Ancelotti really wanting to get one of those players to make up for his team's deficiencies in defence. I honestly don't understand, but I think he knows more than I do and all of us. But you know, Villareal is a team that often causes problems when they meet Real Madrid. Luckily Real Madrid was able to comeback after losing 2-0 in the first half, but before that Real Madrid lost to the same team in La Liga. Evaluation is needed, but Ancelotti must really have good options for his defenders. |
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It's not a curse nor is it unlucky, but actually the Premier League has been really competitive this season. Newcastle, Arsenal are doing so well, while Manchester United are almost back to their great form. On the other hand, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have looked weak compared to last season, and it's true that that has been hugely disappointing. But you may have to be patient that this season is not over yet. You have to stay optimistic about your favorite team, even if things don't look like you expected. I don't understand why we are complaining while these teams are struggling, but support should be what they need under any situations. |
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Absolutely. I think that we all expected Real Madrid to lose or, at most, draw, after their horrible start of the match losing by 2-0; but, although they were visitors, they managed to score three goals and eventually win the game. It will be interesting to see Real Madrid and Barcelona compete for the Cup (Copa del Rey), if both teams manage to reach the final, as it can be an opportunity for Madrid to amend their loss in the Super Cup. Otherwise, Barça's chances for the triplet (League and both Cups) will be really high. Villarreal played well in the first half, they dominated attacks on Real Madrid's defense and that's why Real Madrid lost in the first half with 2 goals. Real Madrid's defense has been in trouble lately even though they were able to win in the end. But lucky, Real Madrid qualified for the next round after a 2-3 comeback from Villarreal. There is indeed a possibility that Real Madrid and Barcelona will meet again in the Copa Del Rey regardless of whether it is in the quarter-finals, semi-finals or maybe the final. I'm expecting Real Madrid vs Barcelona in the final, it's going to be so much more to look forward to. ~~~
Worse still, Villarreal was the same time that inflicted a loss to Real Madrid in la Liga not so long ago, therefore seeing Villarreal lead Real Madrid by 2 goals in First have made me feel it was over for them. Last Night's match was more like those late night UCL comebacks that Real Madrid had last season. I guess the never-say-die attitude is still there in the club, but there is much need on improving the defense. It's in so much shambles lately. The fact is that Villarreal has proven that Real Madrid cannot be underestimated at any time and in any current competition. Villarreal had forced Real Madrid to be under pressure for more than 50 minutes of regular time, but in the second half Real Madrid managed to find a way to comeback and score 3 goals. Real Madrid must improve the quality of their defense better if they want to win the title this season, while if not then they will have to give up a lot of competition without a title this season. Then they can't just rely on Benzema to score goals, so Madrid also need a good striker to replace Benzema when it get stuck. ~~~
Barcelona have all it takes to be crowned laliga champions with incredible performance from their players. The team is becoming stronger without beckoning on any player in their games, Robert Lewandowski and Raphina seems to be enjoying their prime time in barça after lifting their first trophy for their new club. They're ranked first on the league table with topping their pre-eminent rival Real Madrid with 3 points. Barça will face real betis who are sitting at spot six on the table, wouldn't be a hard knot for the bluagrana to crack despite been away in the game. Of course Barcelona have a good possibility of winning the La Liga title this season, but it is still too early to draw conclusions. Barcelona's defense is good so far, they are still strong in defense especially in La Liga where Barcelona have conceded only 6 goals in their last 16 matches and they are the only team with the lowest number of goals conceded so far. |
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Even though Barcelona is currently better and able to beat Real Madrid in the Super Cup final, then I certainly won't expect much because Barcelona is still very unstable. Their players are relatively younger, especially in midfield, while other experienced players such as Alba, Busquets and Lewandowski only help control and provide stability on the pitch. But of course it will be great to see Barcelona back to the peak of glory but now is only the early to expect them to get there. |
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