La Liga (Spanish League) Prediction Thread 2023/24

[Harkorede]

Barcelona did better without messi

They did really honestly, bar the 2 goals they conceded in less than 5 minutes, the performance was an all round impressive one for me, the players believed more them self and individually as a team, unlike when they'd most times keep looking for Messi on the pitch to score goals.

[1714037404]

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[Turbolinea]

I really liked watching Barcelona - Real Sociedad game. I was wondering what Barcelona were going to do without Messi. They actually impressed me with their big effort. They dominated the game and won it 4-2. Braithwaite was really great. He got 2 goals and 1 assist. Let's see what Barcelona will do in the rest of the season.

[Rabi3]

I see that Real Madrid simply demolished Alaves with a 4-1 score. And I'm not surprised by Benzema's great performance. He scored 2 goals and had a big role on this huge win. Actually, I can't say that Alaves played terrible. But they couldn't benefit from the chances they got and it caused them to be crushed by Real Madrid.

real madrid played very well and I was very happy with this victory. I'm starting to think they can win the league this season if they keep playing well like that.


Celta de Vigo 1 - 2 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid won convincingly, but the scene of confusion and red cards negatively stained this game, I personally couldn't contain myself and started laughing 

Barcelona 4 - 2 Real Sociedad

Barcelona did better without messi

this is a very fresh start for La liga without focusing on Messi and or Ronaldo, maybe the three of them winning is a sign we're gonna see another tight fight between the three of them and it might get crazier in the end of the season, can't wait for them to play against each other, H2H matches between them will remain as interesting as they were with the former stars of La liga, Messi and C.Ronaldo.

[ShowOff]

Today will be the first appearance in the league without Messi, Ronald Koeman, under the pressure of finding a combination that includes offensive decisiveness, defensive solidity, harmony in performance, and the ability to snatch points when things get complicated, and all of that without Leo.

I saw something very different from the Barcelona game without Messi. Is it just my feeling of losing Messi or is it that most of the players feel the same way. But it seem true that without Messi Barcelona have a different level of difficulty in attacking the opponent's defense area.

Although Real Sociedad hasn’t remained undefeated at Camp Nou since 1995, i don’t think they would lose this one by more than one goal difference so either 2-1 or 1-0 is my expectation for this match

Did I hear something wrong here?
4-2 is not a bad result for the start of the season without Messi. The players have to do it very professionally.

[Smartvirus]

One thing is there to note for sure. I didn't watch the Barcelona game but that could be due to the fact that, there is virtually no one to watch. You know, you hear a Barcelona match fixture and your all set to watch Messi and even when his not on the line up, you still would be ready to see how they would go through the day without him but, not having to expect him on the pitch at all is a whole different story. Not just for the Barcelona team at all but, the whole of Laliga.
It's very impressive that Barcelona was able to win there game today by a Barcelona 4:2 Real Sociedad win. Just hope they keep this up.

[JeromeTash]

One thing is there to note for sure. I didn't watch the Barcelona game but that could be due to the fact that, there is virtually no one to watch. You know, you hear a Barcelona match fixture and your all set to watch Messi and even when his not on the line up, you still would be ready to see how they would go through the day without him but, not having to expect him on the pitch at all is a whole different story. Not just for the Barcelona team at all but, the whole of Laliga.
It's very impressive that Barcelona was able to win there game today by a Barcelona 4:2 Real Sociedad win. Just hope they keep this up.

Maybe you are not a true La Liga or Barca fan. Messi was a historical player for Barca or even la Liga but he's now gone. That does not stop you from watching Barcelona after Messi unless if you are trying to say that you were just a Messi fan.

The two goals from Real Sociedad towards the end were a real shock. Barcelona may have to keep a close eye on their defense or else, they might be in for some challenging surprises this season once more.

[boltz]

Personally I liked how Barcelona played today as don't get me wrong but Barcelona game has circled around Messi for 11 years now so it's normal to see another style of game. The important thing is that they won and players felt good between them on the pitch so this gives positives vibes for a Barcelona fan which I'm not but still , I'm happy to see Barcelona playing good after Messi era. Also still a lot of games ahead of us.

[ziyaaa]

Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid all managed to win their games on the first week. Atletico Madrid struggled against Celta Vigo but they still won the game 2-1 away. A. Correa was the player of the game as he scored 2 goals. Now, Sevilla also are winning against Vallecano 3-0. I hope that we have an enjoyable season.

[kawetsriyanto]

Personally I liked how Barcelona played today as don't get me wrong but Barcelona game has circled around Messi for 11 years now so it's normal to see another style of game.

Now Barcelona plays fully as a team, not rely on one player only. With this new game style, I think all Barcelona will be motivated more to improve their performances. They will be aware that no special player in their club, so they must make them all be special. Also, the coach can be more flexible to decide the strategy because no player is given special treatment in the team.

[AndySt]

Personally I liked how Barcelona played today as don't get me wrong but Barcelona game has circled around Messi for 11 years now so it's normal to see another style of game. The important thing is that they won and players felt good between them on the pitch so this gives positives vibes for a Barcelona fan which I'm not but still , I'm happy to see Barcelona playing good after Messi era. Also still a lot of games ahead of us.

No player is eternal, so sooner or later it had to happen and Messi had to either leave the team or end his glorious career, so let it happen quite unexpectedly and is a coincidence, but Barcelona finally began to build its game on completely different principles without the participation of an Argentine player. The first seasons may not be so successful, but it was inevitable and it was difficult to find a replacement for such a player, but I think that Barcelona will be more engaged in tactical interactions, because before that the whole tactics of the team was to find Messi, and then Lionel will come up with something. Now the importance of coaching becomes much greater and the coach is no longer under pressure from the authority of such a super player and the coach can demand more from his players.

[ingiltere]

Barcelona showed today they can win without Messi as well. Real Sociedad is not a bad team, they finished in 5th position last season. I was expecting a more challenging game for Barcelona but they found three goals and finished the game early. Real Sociedad tried to come up with Cienfuegos and Oyarzabal but Sergi Roberto made sure there won't be any surprise today. Braithwaite was criticized a lot when he first came in but now he has a chance to show off his skills. He scored only 2 goals in 29 league games last year but today he scored 2 goals already in one match.

[Maidak]

Barcelona showed today they can win without Messi as well. Real Sociedad is not a bad team, they finished in 5th position last season. I was expecting a more challenging game for Barcelona but they found three goals and finished the game early. Real Sociedad tried to come up with Cienfuegos and Oyarzabal but Sergi Roberto made sure there won't be any surprise today. Braithwaite was criticized a lot when he first came in but now he has a chance to show off his skills. He scored only 2 goals in 29 league games last year but today he scored 2 goals already in one match.

First of all, it is Barcelona's home match. All the teams are a bit stronger on their own field. Secondly, I believe Real Sociedad is a good team. But Real Sociedad has not won their last 10 matches against Barcelona. In the last 10 matches, they have managed to draw only 2 matches against Barcelona. This means that they are always weak against Barcelona. If you look at the performance of a few more matches, you can understand how strong Barcelona is now.

[Altryist]

Barcelona showed today they can win without Messi as well. Real Sociedad is not a bad team, they finished in 5th position last season. I was expecting a more challenging game for Barcelona but they found three goals and finished the game early. Real Sociedad tried to come up with Cienfuegos and Oyarzabal but Sergi Roberto made sure there won't be any surprise today. Braithwaite was criticized a lot when he first came in but now he has a chance to show off his skills. He scored only 2 goals in 29 league games last year but today he scored 2 goals already in one match.

Barcelona is a strong team and no matter how good the messi is, there are no irreplaceable people. It will take some time and a new leader will appear in the team who will lead the team, and Barcelona always has someone to score goals, so as we can see everything is in order with Barcelona.

[kassex]

Barcelona showed today they can win without Messi as well. Real Sociedad is not a bad team, they finished in 5th position last season. I was expecting a more challenging game for Barcelona but they found three goals and finished the game early. Real Sociedad tried to come up with Cienfuegos and Oyarzabal but Sergi Roberto made sure there won't be any surprise today. Braithwaite was criticized a lot when he first came in but now he has a chance to show off his skills. He scored only 2 goals in 29 league games last year but today he scored 2 goals already in one match.

First of all, it is Barcelona's home match. All the teams are a bit stronger on their own field. Secondly, I believe Real Sociedad is a good team. But Real Sociedad has not won their last 10 matches against Barcelona. In the last 10 matches, they have managed to draw only 2 matches against Barcelona. This means that they are always weak against Barcelona. If you look at the performance of a few more matches, you can understand how strong Barcelona is now.

Barcelona have a good roster, even without Messi. So don't worry too much. Perhaps there will be difficulties in the Champions League, but in LaLiga there is a chance of becoming a champion. Of course, you should not judge the strength of the team in the first match, but I think Real Madrid and Barcelona will be all right.

[3meek]

Personally I liked how Barcelona played today as don't get me wrong but Barcelona game has circled around Messi for 11 years now so it's normal to see another style of game.

Now Barcelona plays fully as a team, not rely on one player only. With this new game style, I think all Barcelona will be motivated more to improve their performances. They will be aware that no special player in their club, so they must make them all be special. Also, the coach can be more flexible to decide the strategy because no player is given special treatment in the team.

I thought they played as a complete team with Messi too... Messi is a team player, unlike Ronaldo for example...
But I agree that the style of play has changed! Let's see how Barça plays this season... It is difficult to make any conclusions from one game...

By the way, so far all the favourites have won games! I wonder how Villarreal will play today...

[blackened515]

Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid all managed to win their games on the first week. Atletico Madrid struggled against Celta Vigo but they still won the game 2-1 away. A. Correa was the player of the game as he scored 2 goals. Now, Sevilla also are winning against Vallecano 3-0. I hope that we have an enjoyable season.

Barcelona did have a good squad despite the absence of Messi, and they proved that in their match against Real Sociedad. Braithwaite scored two goals. Celta Vigo gave Atletico Madrid a hard time, but Atletico still manage to win the match. While Sevilla really prepared for Real Vallecano, they won in both halves, although, Vallecano got a red card 16 minutes in the match, which affected their performance.
Villarreal, who lost the Super Cup trophy to Chelsea, will be playing their first La Liga season match against Granada. I think the match is a win or draw for Villarreal, Granada is not a weak team and It won't be easy beating them.

[kro55]

Personally I liked how Barcelona played today as don't get me wrong but Barcelona game has circled around Messi for 11 years now so it's normal to see another style of game.

Now Barcelona plays fully as a team, not rely on one player only. With this new game style, I think all Barcelona will be motivated more to improve their performances. They will be aware that no special player in their club, so they must make them all be special. Also, the coach can be more flexible to decide the strategy because no player is given special treatment in the team.

I thought they played as a complete team with Messi too... Messi is a team player, unlike Ronaldo for example...
But I agree that the style of play has changed! Let's see how Barça plays this season... It is difficult to make any conclusions from one game...

By the way, so far all the favourites have won games! I wonder how Villarreal will play today...

Apart from Messi, the Barcelona team is good enough. Maybe they would have been stronger if Messi had been in the team, but they are not a weak team now. They have replaced Aguero with Messi. He is a very good player. Moreover, Depay is talented. But they should have strengthened the defense a bit. Last season we saw Barcelona's weak defense.

[hd49728]

Barcelona did have a good squad despite the absence of Messi, and they proved that in their match against Real Sociedad. Braithwaite scored two goals. Celta Vigo gave Atletico Madrid a hard time, but Atletico still manage to win the match. While Sevilla really prepared for Real Vallecano, they won in both halves, although, Vallecano got a red card 16 minutes in the match, which affected their performance.
Villarreal, who lost the Super Cup trophy to Chelsea, will be playing their first La Liga season match against Granada. I think the match is a win or draw for Villarreal, Granada is not a weak team and It won't be easy beating them.

Barcelona are strong team and they are different than Arsenal in Premier League. They are still strong and competitive enough to join title competitions. However they are lack of stability in all season to win titles especially in La Liga. With their players, I think Barcelona have more opportunity to win La Liga than Champions League.

Because La Liga last in months and they can fix mistakes to get trophy. In Champions League, any bad moment will be punished by defeat and it is hard for them to win Champions League after losing Messi and with the defenders they have now.

Apart from Messi, the Barcelona team is good enough. Maybe they would have been stronger if Messi had been in the team, but they are not a weak team now. They have replaced Aguero with Messi. He is a very good player. Moreover, Depay is talented. But they should have strengthened the defense a bit. Last season we saw Barcelona's weak defense.

They would be weaker in this season. Stronger, in a few more seasons, maybe and I can not imagine a stronger Barcelona than what they had with Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Villa, Alba. They might be stronger than this season but it is unrealistic to think they will become a strongest team in their history.

[slaman29]

Personally I liked how Barcelona played today as don't get me wrong but Barcelona game has circled around Messi for 11 years now so it's normal to see another style of game. The important thing is that they won and players felt good between them on the pitch so this gives positives vibes for a Barcelona fan which I'm not but still , I'm happy to see Barcelona playing good after Messi era. Also still a lot of games ahead of us.

Same here. I've said for at least two seasons already that we need to prepare for life without Messi, and the huge loss to Anfield already was the loud alarm bell that the club just continued to ignore.

I also said I hoped we do lose badly last season in every competition so that the club continues to focus on a rebuild instead of delaying it. I guess with Messi gone there is nothing to hold back a total rebuild.

[poldanmig]

Personally I liked how Barcelona played today as don't get me wrong but Barcelona game has circled around Messi for 11 years now so it's normal to see another style of game. The important thing is that they won and players felt good between them on the pitch so this gives positives vibes for a Barcelona fan which I'm not but still , I'm happy to see Barcelona playing good after Messi era. Also still a lot of games ahead of us.

It's time for Barcelona to get out of Messi's shadow right now and show their quality as one of the best clubs in the world even without Messi, Barcelona's victory against Real Sociedad certainly can't be said to be Barcelona's best performance without Messi, but it can show that Barcelona are currently not a team that only relies on one player to win, although it is difficult to remove messi's shadow from barcelona but at least Barcelona must be able to do that even though it looks like it will be very difficult.