CHAPTER 302: Valencia 2 - 2 Barcelona

Alternative title: A Point Salvaged in Valencia


Positives

• Barça drawed, and got a crucial 1 point against Valencia.

• The draw against Los Ches is more probably on the positive side for Barça considering that Barça played at the Mestalla. Furthermore, Valencia were coming in good form before this game.

• Barcelona came back from being 2-1 behind.

• Messi scored the first goal. He adds up his goal tally and that goal was difficult.

• Iniesta made good work in cutting through the Valencia defense and then setting up the goal for Messi.

• Henry also adds his goal tally as he scored the crucial equalizer late in the game. A great chip/lob over Cesar and it came at an important time, the 85th minute!

• There will now be lesser games to be played in the league as each game finishes. The possibility of winning the league title is closer…..

Negatives

• Barça’s recent winning streak in the league ended with that draw.

• The clean sheet streak also ended.

• Overall not great performances from the players. But the team scraped through for the draw.

• Valencia’s attacking 4 of Silva-Villa-Mata-Pablo Hernandez ran riot in the 1st half, Barça was troubled throughout whenever they were storming into Barça’s goal.

• Barcelona went behind after scoring first.

• Few scoring chances after Barça’s first weren’t able to be finished.

• The goals conceded were bad and of crap defending.
  On the 1st goal, Abidal’s poor reception of Iniesta’s pass that led to Valencia’s attack that ended with their corner kick. Valdes ought to have done better in catching the ball. But one point I want to raise in addition is why was no one covering the post when Maduro kneed the ball in? If a player was covering that area perhaps Maduro’s goal could have been blocked/avoided.
  The 2nd goal was terrible defending. Pablo Hernandez just cut through the defense – why and how was he ‘allowed’ such ease. This was probably due to the defenders wary of getting a booking/suspensions had they check against Pablo Hernandez.
  

• The Keita-Busquets-Xavi midfield trio.
  They couldn’t really provide good service and backup for the attacking trio. And they looked troubled, uncomposed against Valencia’s pressure and forwards (especially in the first half).
  The trio didn’t really match up against Valencia’s midfield. Perhaps they could do well against lesser sides though.
  

• Even though it was a crucial point snatched, the fact that the team drew now could mean that if Madrid were to win in Seville then the gap against them would be reduced to 4 points.

• Another negative point to add is that the game played and the performance shown perhaps could lead to a concern of confidence coming into the crucial Champions League semifinals match against Chelsea. After all, Barcelona is in a very busy, very demanding and absolutely crucial stage of the season. The next coming games truly are the make or break the season (bloody hell).

Let’s hope for the best Barcelonistas, let’s hope for the best.