CHAPTER 228: Sporting Lisbon (2) - Barcelona (5) [analysis]

Alternative Title: Champs of Group C

Positives

• A win.
• The victory ensures that Barça ends up qualifying on top spot from the group (thus having gained that crucial home leg advantage in the second round when the knockout stages of the competition begins next year).
• A win with a big score line (5 goals scored) is always great.
• Another away victory. This Barcelona is having a mighty impressive away record in all competitions this season!
• Huge improvement in terms of performance and goal scoring chances in this game, compared to the previous match (against Getafe). Better attacking and more pressing against the opposition.
• Thierry Henry scored the first goal and added his goal tally for this season.
• The first goal came from a good interplay between Messi and Henry.
• Pique scored his first goal for Barcelona in official competitions.
• Was that an ‘Espaldinha’ of an assist from Gudjohsen on Pique’s goal?
• Messi showed great finishing on the third goal.
• In addition, that third goal was from an excellent set-up & teamplay (from both Alves and Messi). Again, the opposition got caught and were slow to counter against a Barça play.
• I believe that Pedro did good hassle for the forth goal. If he hadn’t chased after the ball perhaps the Sporting defender wouldn’t have tried to clear away the ball in a rush.
• A good boost for Bojan Krkic in terms of both winning a penalty and scoring from the penalty spot (thank God that ball went in! It looked like the keeper could have stopped it!). Hopefully he redeems himself from his poor showing last weekend.
• Regarding results from the other teams in the other groups, Barcelona could be proud in the sense that they are the first to mathematically top their group.

Negatives

• The goals conceded.
• Marquez gave away that freekick that resulted in Sporting’s first goal. The Mexican commited that fouled in a dangerous and precarious area for Barcelona to defend against (and the quality of Veloso’s goal showed that’s a position that the team can be beat at).
• Liedson’s goal was even worst conceded. Once again Marquez ought to have headed the ball away better, and Caceres was in a difficult position to chase Liedson. The prevention setup in this particular situation was poor.
• What was crap was that Sporting scored in a quick succession. From being ahead by three goals to suddenly being ahead only by just one was absolutely crap.

Other thoughts….. As stated above, Barça is the first team to mathematically qualify as champs of their group. However, the issue here is that with the first and second spots from the other groups are still uncertain as of this current moment, they would definitely arise a delicate and tricky situation that the expected knockout stages of the Champions League next year would be consisting of tough and interesting clashes. Could prove extremely tricky for Barça if they end up facing a top tier team in the last 16…..