Barcelona will be eager to revenge their defeat at the hands of Rubin Kazan a fortnight ago in the Nou Camp. It is one of the most shocking results the Nou Camp have seen in years.
Group F seems to be one of the toughest groups in the Champions League this season as only one point separates all four teams and three teams are level with four points. Barcelona was rated favourites to win the group from the start are still favourites to me at this moment while Rubin Kazan was the underdogs from the start are still the underdogs at this moment although Rubin Kazan have put in a couple of decent results.
Analysis: Barcelona was disappointed not to claim all three points at the weekend as Gerard Pique scored an unlucky own goal. Guardiola is not worried about the threat Rubin can cause but he is more worried on the playing surface. As Barcelona loves to play high tempo game with short passes, the playing surface might just be the factor where the game is won and lost.
Having said that Guardiola’s main concern is the playing surface, he will certainly tell his players not to take Rubin easily as Rubin has already defeated them a fortnight ago. Pep Guardiola selected his strongest 19 man squad to travel to Russia which includes Dani Alves and the only senior players missing are Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Gabriel Milito.
Guardiola is likely to start with his preferred 4-3-3 formation. Victor Valdes will start in goal protected by Dani Alves, Pique, Puyol and Abidal or Marquez. In midfield, Seydou Keita will partner Xavi and Iniesta in midfield to form a dynamic 3 man midfield while Lional Messi, Ibrahimovic and Henry are likely to start up front.
Keita has been in superb form lately scoring four goals in his last 2 games. With Henry rested at the weekend’s game, the Frenchman should be fully fit and ready for this game. Andres Iniesta who played a forward position at the weekend will drop back into midfield to compete against a very hardworking Rubin side.
Rubin Kazan are currently leading their domestic League by one point with three games to go. With the Russian season at its final weeks, Kazan will definitely have half the eye at this weekend’s game. No doubt the Champions League is a prestigious competition and Rubin Kazan will play its best but the players themselves would definitely have set a priority and that is most likely the domestic league.
Rubin Kazan are likely to stick to the same line-up that defeated Barcelona two weeks ago. Berdyev is likely to start with a 5-4-1 formation with Sergio Ryzhikov in goal protected by Salukvadze, Roman Sharonoc, Cesar and Cristian Ansaldi. Noboa, Gokdeniz and Semak will start in central midfield leaving Ryazantsev and Kaleshin or Macbeth Sibaya out in the flanks. Alex Dominguez will lead the lines as a line striker.
Looking at both line-ups and from the way both these side play a fortnight ago, Rubin Kazan will put 10 men behind the ball leaving Dominguez up front. With Guardiola aware of the threat that Rubin Kazan can pose, he is likely to make sure his defence do not play to high up the pitch or committing to many players forward at a single time.
Verdict: The key to this game would definitely be the movement and passes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. Having mentioned earlier, Barcelona loves to play the quick and high tempo game therefore the condition of the pitch is crucial. However, with the amount of quality in this Barcelona team, the pitch surface should not be the factor that stops them from winning.
With Barcelona already aware of Rubin Kazan’s hardworking team work, the qualities of Lional Messi and Henry are likely to expose the weakness of this Rubin Kazan which is man marking.!
Fix Odds Betting: Take Barcelona to win the game as your main bet!
Best Regards, -shady-
Posts: 59 | Location: Australia | Registered: 13 September 2009
Shady, I like Barcelona at given odds quite a bit. But several things are unsettling:
1) Rubin scored first in all 3 matches. 2) Rubin should have won against Inter and could have achieved more against Dynamo. 3) It's an away game for Barcelona.
...I think the pitch condition will be absolutely crucial...if the pitch is in decent condition Barca will win this...if there is snow and the pitch is not playable, Barca will not be able to impose their passing style and will be unable to dominate Kazan...
...from some reports it will be between -1 and -5 tomorrow night, I'm not sure how much snow there will be, and whether they have kept the pitch playable...
...for me, this is absolutely crucial and I will wait until I know for sure before placing a bet on Barca...
Posts: 932 | Location: Hrvatska | Registered: 24 August 2007
Great preview. I am waiting with a lot of interest the match. I think Barcelona will win this one today. Rubin is great team, right now they are on fire, but Barca will manage to win. For betting tips visit the sport betting site. it is very good for football tips. But as well as tennis and other sports.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: BettingCloseTo,
Yes Ziherash.. i believe the pitch plays a major factor but Barcelona should be good enough to survive(or should i say win) the game even if its snowing. Maybe they would not dominate the game but might just scrape a 1-0 win.
I do agree to a certain extend that Rubin is a good team but a lot comes down to experience.
Posts: 59 | Location: Australia | Registered: 13 September 2009
Hmm...I have my doubts (because of the conditions of the pitch)...Barca are a footballing side...we all know they like to play, patient build-up, little triangles and all that! no 'route one stuff'...IMO Barca are probably the best team in the world...having said that, I don't think they are the best at grinding out results (like Chelsea or ManUtd), and winning games where they are not able to play well, and with the weather conditions not looking favourable I think they may have a problem...
...I use to play lower league football, and we use to play on some terrible pitches, and I always thought to myself, 'I'd love to see Barca or Real play on this pitch, I bet they couldn't string 5 passes together'...
...I want to back Barca, and was actually planning to back them with high stakes but the wather factor has really put some question marks in my mind...
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ziherash,
Posts: 932 | Location: Hrvatska | Registered: 24 August 2007
That price of less than 1.50 for Barca to win away is rubbish value - but it's set there because bookies expect an avalanche of betting anyway.
A question for you - without looking - how many away games have Barca won in the Champions League out of the last four?
As they're defending champions it must be high surely ... any answer?
The answer is ZERO - four draws in their last four away games in Europe - 1-1 at Lyon - 1-1 at Bayern Munich - 1-1 at Chelsea - 0-0 at Inter Milan
While I understand that Rubin Kazan may not be rated at quite that eleite quality, they did win at Barca, and in their only home game so far they drew 1-1 with Inter Milan.
Yes I'd make a Barca win the most likely result, maybe as high as 50%, but that still means I want a 2.00 price ... not 1.40 to 1.50!
That price of 4.85 on the draw is looking very tempting to me!
Well put Gooner. They do tend to find things a bit tougher on the road, and 1.50 or so is far from value even though it is the most likely result. I would have them a little closer to about 1.80-1.90 and having said that and considering the result from last time, it is a game i would steer clear from. There are better bets than Barcelona this week
Posts: 190 | Location: Australia | Registered: 28 August 2009
If you're uncertain whether can Barcelona win the game, i dont think over 2.5 is a good choice. Barcelona would have learn from their mistakes and would not want to suffer another defeat today.
Therefore if Barcelona is not going to win the game, chances is it would be a 0-0 or 1-1 draw which is under. But if they are going to win the game its a different story. So i wont touch on the over/under in this game
Posts: 59 | Location: Australia | Registered: 13 September 2009
Originally posted by shady: If you're uncertain whether can Barcelona win the game, i dont think over 2.5 is a good choice. Barcelona would have learn from their mistakes and would not want to suffer another defeat today.
Therefore if Barcelona is not going to win the game, chances is it would be a 0-0 or 1-1 draw which is under. But if they are going to win the game its a different story. So i wont touch on the over/under in this game
I'm looking statistically at the overs/unders. In the Spanish League, goals in barcelona games averages at 3.2, and in the Russian League games involving Rubin Kazan average 2.9. In the three CL matches Rubin have played, 2 have been overs. In Barca's three games, only one has ended in overs (1-2 loss to Rubin Kazan).
I'm also thinking of the pitch conditions, it is possible that it could be snow and icy, my experience from living in Norway is often when pitch conditions are like this goals are scored a bit easier.
I'm still to have a bet on this, just trying to get all angles to see if it is value.
i cant guarantee you a "sure-win" bet but i've looked at all the markets, over/under, fix odds, handicap n etc and i believe the best odds is still Barcelona on the Fix Odds.
No doubt the payout is not as high as some expected but if you compare both set of players who would you put your money on? I certainly would take the risk and put my money on Barcelona!!
Posts: 59 | Location: Australia | Registered: 13 September 2009
This is an ideal game to play the CORRECT SCORE market. If you think Barca will win then take them to win 2-0 or 2-1, much better value than 1.5 for any score.
Originally posted by lazyalson: watching the russian champions squeezing at the penalty box is way too frustrating.....grrrr
So was watching the multimillion Chelsea team play 'scared' both home and away. End result? Barcelona barely escaping with a buzzer-beater at Stamford Bridge. So was watching the UEFA Cup owners Shakhtar put 11 men behind the ball. End result? Overtime, and a couple of outside chances to put it away.
There is a proverb I'm sure many of Rubin fans will relate to:
Discipline overcomes talent.
Evenmore so when a little luck, a pretty bad pitch, and a terrible away record (for Barcelona) are all involved.
Well done Gooner. I wish I realized this game had an early kickoff and checked this thread beforehand.
no 'route one stuff'...IMO Barca are probably the best team in the world...having said that, I don't think they are the best at grinding out results (like Chelsea or ManUtd), and winning games where they are not able to play well, and with the weather conditions not looking favourable I think they may have a problem...
