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Spanish Inquisition: Why Barca Will Need Thierry Henry & Andres Iniesta At Their Best
Goal.com's Cyrus C. Malek argues that with Dani Alves and Eric Abidal out of the Barca line-up, it is paramount for Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta to return from injury in top form for the Blaugrana to take home the Champions League Trophy...
| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £70.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £70.00 | Draw £45.00 | Barcelona £14.40 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £80.00 | Draw £40.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £85.00 | Draw £45.00 | Barcelona £14.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Leverkusen £75.00 | Draw £42.00 | Barcelona £13.70 |
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May 26, 2009 9:07:49 AM
During much of the season, Barcelona have picked apart opposing teams with their supremely technical style of attacking football on their way to claiming the Copa del Rey trophy along with the Liga title. But if Barca are to claim their third championship of the season and complete the ‘triplete’ by way of winning the coveted Champions League trophy, the Blaugrana must be set to play their most dominating football of the season.
Barcelona had been very fortunate in avoiding injury setbacks during the bulk of the year, with manager Pep Guardiola amply rotating the squad in order to keep players fresh and relatively free of knocks. Lionel Messi enjoyed his first full season with the Blaugrana without sustaining a major injury and Xavi similarly had a year without more than a few bothersome niggles.
In fact, aside from Gabi Milito’s season-long injury and Iniesta’s four-week absence in the winter, Barcelona remained remarkably healthy for the bulk of the season and this level of fitness contributed greatly toward their ability to compete for all of the titles in which they were eligible to compete.
But during the last quarter of the season, as the level of competition became more difficult and the matches became more frequent, Barca (as every team does) succumbed to the rigours of the sport and the team’s stars began to miss some significant playing time, their bodies unable to keep up with the arduous demands of bi-weekly football.
A season-ending knee injury to Rafa Marquez coupled with a suspension to Carles Puyol forced defensive midfielder Yaya Toure into the relatively unfamiliar role of central defender during Barcelona’s last-gasp triumph against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In that same match Thierry Henry, who had picked up a knee injury in that weekend’s Clasico at the Bernabeu, was a noted absence and it was Andres Iniesta who was called upon, leaving his attacking midfield position to fill in the Frenchman’s void on the left wing. It can be argued that had Henry been in the line-up, Barca would have had a far easier time in England.
To make matters worse for Barca, their 3-3 draw at the Camp Nou against Villarreal — Barcelona’s chance to secure the Liga title in the company of their own fans — was marred even further with an injury to Iniesta that put the darting Spaniard in very real danger of missing this Wednesday’s Champions League encounter.
Heading into Wednesday’s final against Manchester United, Barcelona will luckily be set to have Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta back from their respective knocks to return to the starting line-up, but some significant absences could still render Barcelona more than a few notches below their best.
The area of most concern for the Blaugrana is the back line, where the aforementioned loss of Marquez will likely see Gerard Pique, who has been a rock at the back during his many appearances during the season, step into central defence. But the positions of greatest worry are those of the flanks — where both Eric Abidal and Dani Alves will be forced to miss the match through suspensions.
Abidal’s form on the left flank has been spotty during the course of the season and the semi-final encounter against Chelsea was not one of the Frenchman’s best, having been shown a red card. At one point in the weeks preceding Wednesday’s final, it was speculated that Seydou Keita, usually a defensive midfielder, might step in at left-back, but now it seems more likely that Sylvinho will assume the responsibility. But at 35-years-old, the defender is no spring chicken and it will be interesting to see how the Brazilian fares as the match progresses — especially if Man Utd’s Cristiano Ronaldo has the opportunity to take on his tired legs in the final stretch of the match.
While Abidal’s absence at left-back may require Guardiola to make a few tactical changes, Dani Alves’ absence at right-back may require the Barca manager to radically adjust his approach to the match. Even if he were not suspended for the Wednesday’s encounter, Alves recently injured his ankle in training and will be forced to miss the rest of the season. The fact that the Brazilian will be missing from the line-up represents a great loss for Barca as Alves has filled an integral role both in the Barca defence as well as attack. Barca’s greatest signing of the summer, Alves is a player that combines mercurial speed with superb technical ability and has redefined his position on the pitch with marauding runs up the flank, blistering crosses across the face of goal, and frequent one-two combinations with right-winger Leo Messi. Defensively, he is also remarkably sound, rarely being beaten (in large part, thanks to his speed), despite flying into the attack with reckless abandon.
Guardiola enters Wednesday’s match without a shoe-in substitute for Alves at right-back. Puyol has played at every position along the defensive line this season and he seems like the most likely choice, but should the Spaniard be employed at right-back rather than his customary central defensive position, it remains uncertain as to who will slot in next to Pique in the centre of the pitch to take on the likes of Rooney, Tevez, and Berbatov. Will Yaya Toure again be forced to serve as a stop-gap or will Guardiola employ a yet-unseen scheme in an effort to catch Sir Alex Ferguson off guard?
As difficult a predicament Barca might find themselves in at the back, they can avoid trouble in defence with a better offence. By dominating possession and pressing in attack (as they customarily do), Barca will, in effect, relieve pressure on their makeshift defensive line and for this reason it is ever more crucial that Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta are able to return from their prolonged spells off the pitch with their usual efficacy.
At their best, Iniesta and Henry complete the Barcelona attack and make it a force that is nearly impossible to withstand. Henry’s last match came at the Santiago Bernabeu, where the Frenchman played arguably his best football since arriving to Barcelona, single-handedly skinning the Real Madrid defence. A repeat performance from ‘Titi’ would surely put Manchester United on the back foot and force the Red Devils from venturing too far into the attack. Iniesta’s last goal for Barca needs no prompting; his final-second strike that shattered hearts in London, but raised screams of jubilation from the Catalunyan capital.
If Barcelona are to overcome their defensive shortfalls that will limit them from competing at their unmitigated best, they will need to be in top form in the upper two thirds of the pitch — and that can only be accomplished with the return of Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta. Barcelona’s second Champions League trophy in four years lies in the balance…
Cyrus C. Malek, Goal.com
Barcelona had been very fortunate in avoiding injury setbacks during the bulk of the year, with manager Pep Guardiola amply rotating the squad in order to keep players fresh and relatively free of knocks. Lionel Messi enjoyed his first full season with the Blaugrana without sustaining a major injury and Xavi similarly had a year without more than a few bothersome niggles.
In fact, aside from Gabi Milito’s season-long injury and Iniesta’s four-week absence in the winter, Barcelona remained remarkably healthy for the bulk of the season and this level of fitness contributed greatly toward their ability to compete for all of the titles in which they were eligible to compete.
But during the last quarter of the season, as the level of competition became more difficult and the matches became more frequent, Barca (as every team does) succumbed to the rigours of the sport and the team’s stars began to miss some significant playing time, their bodies unable to keep up with the arduous demands of bi-weekly football.
A season-ending knee injury to Rafa Marquez coupled with a suspension to Carles Puyol forced defensive midfielder Yaya Toure into the relatively unfamiliar role of central defender during Barcelona’s last-gasp triumph against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In that same match Thierry Henry, who had picked up a knee injury in that weekend’s Clasico at the Bernabeu, was a noted absence and it was Andres Iniesta who was called upon, leaving his attacking midfield position to fill in the Frenchman’s void on the left wing. It can be argued that had Henry been in the line-up, Barca would have had a far easier time in England.
To make matters worse for Barca, their 3-3 draw at the Camp Nou against Villarreal — Barcelona’s chance to secure the Liga title in the company of their own fans — was marred even further with an injury to Iniesta that put the darting Spaniard in very real danger of missing this Wednesday’s Champions League encounter.
Heading into Wednesday’s final against Manchester United, Barcelona will luckily be set to have Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta back from their respective knocks to return to the starting line-up, but some significant absences could still render Barcelona more than a few notches below their best.
The area of most concern for the Blaugrana is the back line, where the aforementioned loss of Marquez will likely see Gerard Pique, who has been a rock at the back during his many appearances during the season, step into central defence. But the positions of greatest worry are those of the flanks — where both Eric Abidal and Dani Alves will be forced to miss the match through suspensions.
Abidal’s form on the left flank has been spotty during the course of the season and the semi-final encounter against Chelsea was not one of the Frenchman’s best, having been shown a red card. At one point in the weeks preceding Wednesday’s final, it was speculated that Seydou Keita, usually a defensive midfielder, might step in at left-back, but now it seems more likely that Sylvinho will assume the responsibility. But at 35-years-old, the defender is no spring chicken and it will be interesting to see how the Brazilian fares as the match progresses — especially if Man Utd’s Cristiano Ronaldo has the opportunity to take on his tired legs in the final stretch of the match.
While Abidal’s absence at left-back may require Guardiola to make a few tactical changes, Dani Alves’ absence at right-back may require the Barca manager to radically adjust his approach to the match. Even if he were not suspended for the Wednesday’s encounter, Alves recently injured his ankle in training and will be forced to miss the rest of the season. The fact that the Brazilian will be missing from the line-up represents a great loss for Barca as Alves has filled an integral role both in the Barca defence as well as attack. Barca’s greatest signing of the summer, Alves is a player that combines mercurial speed with superb technical ability and has redefined his position on the pitch with marauding runs up the flank, blistering crosses across the face of goal, and frequent one-two combinations with right-winger Leo Messi. Defensively, he is also remarkably sound, rarely being beaten (in large part, thanks to his speed), despite flying into the attack with reckless abandon.
Guardiola enters Wednesday’s match without a shoe-in substitute for Alves at right-back. Puyol has played at every position along the defensive line this season and he seems like the most likely choice, but should the Spaniard be employed at right-back rather than his customary central defensive position, it remains uncertain as to who will slot in next to Pique in the centre of the pitch to take on the likes of Rooney, Tevez, and Berbatov. Will Yaya Toure again be forced to serve as a stop-gap or will Guardiola employ a yet-unseen scheme in an effort to catch Sir Alex Ferguson off guard?
As difficult a predicament Barca might find themselves in at the back, they can avoid trouble in defence with a better offence. By dominating possession and pressing in attack (as they customarily do), Barca will, in effect, relieve pressure on their makeshift defensive line and for this reason it is ever more crucial that Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta are able to return from their prolonged spells off the pitch with their usual efficacy.
At their best, Iniesta and Henry complete the Barcelona attack and make it a force that is nearly impossible to withstand. Henry’s last match came at the Santiago Bernabeu, where the Frenchman played arguably his best football since arriving to Barcelona, single-handedly skinning the Real Madrid defence. A repeat performance from ‘Titi’ would surely put Manchester United on the back foot and force the Red Devils from venturing too far into the attack. Iniesta’s last goal for Barca needs no prompting; his final-second strike that shattered hearts in London, but raised screams of jubilation from the Catalunyan capital.
If Barcelona are to overcome their defensive shortfalls that will limit them from competing at their unmitigated best, they will need to be in top form in the upper two thirds of the pitch — and that can only be accomplished with the return of Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta. Barcelona’s second Champions League trophy in four years lies in the balance…
Cyrus C. Malek, Goal.com
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