Ok people review time!!!! and I must say this game seemed like an upset 30mins in. It was all kicking, screaming ad fouling going. Thankfully Yaya was on the field to really calm things down. Now every1 who watched the match picture instead of Yaya starting Busquets did, it would've been bloody out there is what comes to mind.
Guardiola continued to rotate a few players that he 'seemed tired from Wed. game.He rolled out Valdés; Alves, Puyol, Chygrynski, Abidal; Xavi, Toure, Keita; Pedro, Messi y Henry(a lineup that I thought had get the job done all over it). Piqué was rested for Chygrynskiy; Busquets rested for Touré and Pedro entered for the 'injured' Ibrahimovic.He changed some names, but not the philosophy of getting the job done by hook or by crook.
We started the game with Henry being the '9 'although there was speculation that Messi could play the false '9'. From the first moment we saw a very aggressive Malaga, putting pressure on our players around the field and not hesitating to be tough whenever needed, of course, with the permissiveness of referee Delgado Ferreiro.
The first 15 minutes were a little nightmare for Barca, who could not find its place on the pitch - (certainly it was the horrible Malaga lawn) - and the players looked like they were expecting Malaga to kick them on every play. In the 7th minute the hosts had the best chance of the entire first half, when Obinha went 1v1 with Chygrynskiy but ran out of angle and fired into the side of the goal.
From the 15th minute, Malaga started to lose gas and we began to feel more comfortable. The first approach was a Henry shot cleared by their goalkeeper Munúa. I believe it was here Henry got injured and was replaced nearly 15 minutes later by Ibrahimovic. I noticed the change immediately. But In the37min he 'failed to utilizes a great pass from Pedro, his shot was poor and the goalkeeper was able to deflect the ball.
Ibrahimovic spared them in his first chance on goal but not his second. This time it was Messi who gave him a good pass and the striker finished off. It was 0-1 and the first sign of the three poles. A beautiful goal that came from individual brilliance but still an advantage to go into halftime with.
After the break, the game was more physical than ever. Malaga were tackling hard and things often threatened to turn ugly, but Barça didn’t let it get to them and maintained an impeccable attitude. And just when the game needed some footballing brilliance, Piqué, who had just come on for the also injured Chygrynskiy(who will be out for 3 weeks with a knee problem), struck home a terrific 58th minute strike from an inch-perfect free kick from Xavi.
We now found it easy to produce combination football in midfield, and Malaga defended as best as they could – which rather too often simply meant dealing out fouls. Luque saw red for a an unpleasant challenge, while Messi reminded everybody how football should be played, with some brilliant play in the dying minutes, but he let himself down with some poor finishing. He and Weligton were locked in a duel from the first minute, but the Argentinian was the clear winner of that individual contest.
So, with three more points in the bag, we can return from La Rosaleda after showing that we can do well whatever the state of the pitch.(although last year we won 4-1 and the pitch was much wore)
FACTS
Malaga: Munúa; Gámez, Square, Welligton, Manu, Juanito, Xavi Torres, Duda (Luque 76), Fernando (Valdo, 45), Obinha, Baha (Forestieri, 56 ')
FC Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Chygrynskiy (Pique 55), Abidal, Xavi, Toure (Busquets 78), Keita, Pedro, Messi and Henry (Ibrahimovic, 28 ').
Referee: Delgado Ferreiro. Yellow cards to Baha (16 '), Toure (31'), Duda (67 '), Piqué (69'); Welligton (69 '), Ibrahimovic (69'). He drove the second Barca coach Tito Vilanova and Albert Luque (85 ') by a hard tackle from behind Alves.
Goals:
0-1, Ibrahimovic (38 ')
0-2, Piqué (58 ')
Video Highlights
