Oh dear, oh dear, we have so many injuries.
Messi, Pedro, Puyol, Xavi, Maxwell, Abidal
So Afellay and Thiago are starting.
I think we've also opted for a different formation.
MADRID LOST TO GIJON. it's irrelavant, but just saying.
i think if we were to lose anything before going to madrid, it would be this one.
But it is good! I love both their styles of play, it's going to be one hell of a match.
2' Afellay's cross hits the Villarreall defence.
3' Villarreal take control of the ball and go through the barca defence but are ultimately taken down by Keita, it looks like a rough challenge but pla goes on.
5' Villarreal's Rossi takes the ball all the way through our defence and Valdes blocks him out. too close!
6' Dani Alves plays it long for iniesta but we keep posession. Then Thiago coming in once again with a good run but Villarreal manage to clear it out of danger.
8' Free kick is given as Afellay is taken down.
8' David Villa offside. No point in getting angry about this. every single game.
11' ROSSI COMES IN FOR A VERY CLOSE SHOT. victor valdes stops it well and Villarreal unable to get their second shot on target.
13' Valdes has the armband tonight. Interesting.
13' Villa is offside again. SO CLOSE.
14' Mascherano writhing in pain on the floor. Bruno is booked. it would NOT be good for another injury! Looks like a gash on his leg by the studs of Bruno's boots. He's gone off the sidelines for treatment.
17' Mascherano back on. Villarreal have been dominating for 2 minutes ish.
18' Keita is taken down.
20' Afellay's cross for Villa is blocked by the keeper. I wonder if Afellay's goal for the Netherlands in the Euros influenced Pep's decision in putting him on.
21' Villarreal appealing for a handball off Busquets but none given.
23' Iniesta's ball looking for Alves but ends up with the keeper. COME ON..... 23 minutes and can't break the deadlock.
25' Mascherano comes in with a late challenge. no booking though.
26' Alves collides with the Villarreal's keeper and he's on the ground clutching his knee.
29' Villarreal coming in from a dangerous position and Mascherano clears it out for a corner.
29' Corner is taken short and Villarreal get it to Rossi, whose shot goes over and wide.
30' craaaaaaaaaap the ball goes across the face of the goal and iniesta doesn't lunge for a goal. maybe it was for the best. no idea.
32' Afellay in pain. not sure why but his expression says it.
34' Barca have a corner but make nothing of it. how come we never take it short? surely we're better on the ground than in the air.
35' Pique once again denying his fouling. it's a funny mixture between cheekiness and anger.
38' Adriano goes for a long shot after a long run of posession but it's into the keeper's hands.
39' Pique is booked, even though he's the one in pain. It was a late challenge though.
40' Pique striking the ball forwards from far back. Not sure why, it wasnt to anyone. Perhaps going for a Xabi Alonso signature goal. it just goes to the keeper though.
41' David Villa in space but Catala blocks him out.
45' Whistle goes for the first half. the reason why there's nothing there in the last 4 minutes is because it's basically just both teams failing to get any shots in despite being in space.
MESSI IS WARMING UPPPPPP. my life is complete? hahaha Thiago is speaking to Afellay, HE SPEAKS ENGLISH! YES. i've also managed to blog the entire first half without swearing. congradulate me...
46' we're just constantly being outmuscled by villarreal.
47' Iniesta's shot is on target, having been set up by afellay, but the keeper just tips it over.
48' Afellay trying to unpick some of the defence but finally taken after 3 defenders.
48' Villa shoots! but it's wide. sigh.
49' Alves is down. Marchena is booked. why is alves clutching his arm.... need a replay on this. he's been stepped on the arm. right. that. is. foul.
51' Alves' shot is over and wide. it was from far. so it's forgivable.
52' MESSI IS ON FOR..... they say afellay, he starts walking off but they call him back! it's Keita that's coming off. that was weird...
54' Alves is booked for pushing in a challange.
55' Afellay makes a beast of a run with extreme speed but no one is there to catch his pass other than the keeper.
56' shit Nilmar is coming on. ooooooooooh. interesting.
57' Victor Valdes.... some 32 feet away from the goal comes out and.... heads the ball out of danger. so un-goalkeeper-like of him.
60' the last three minutes was some lose attacks without any real danger.... and me realise how incredibly short our team is. we look so tiny. and villarreal look massive in yellow.
61' aahrhghgiugaueuaef messi makes the run, pique was almost in to take the shot but he was offside and didn't bother going for it, would've been amazing though, pique so far up front.
just wanted to highlight the fact that gerard pique, the centre back, was offside.
64' Thiago was onside, but it was just, JUST an inch wide from the goal. come ooooooooonnnnnnnnnn!!!
65' Afellay takes a shot but the keeper manages to block it. it was good though.
65' sigh... messi's beard is so non-existence and non ginger
66' PIQUUUUEEEE PPPIIIIQQQUUUEEEEEEEE OMGGG!!! finally! broken the deadlock!!! Corner taken by Alves, Busquets heads it, pique controls with his chest and strikes it in! waka waka! he's in disbelief i think. amazing. crowd chanting "gerard, pique, pique, pique"
69' Villa is off for Bojan! i hope he does well.... it would be nice to get another. god they're both so short.
73' We've been holding posession for a bit now. Funny thing is, the minute Bojan sees a defender in front he flips out. granted he gets the ball but he was waving his arms all over the place.
75' the commentator needs to stop fucking talking. he's saying that pique's chest control might be a handball. firstly, the ref didn't call it, so shut the fuck up. he's just stirring shit up. and secondly, his job is to commentate the game, not what would happen if it was a handball and what the press would do with it.
78' Villarreal get a free kick for late challenge. it's outside the 18 yard box. so like 23 yards away. shot swerves away from the wall but goes wide.
79' Victor Valdes defending like a centre back and chesting the ball away.
81' oooh a free kick for messi, taken down just outside 18 yards. messi takes a shot and it's blocked out but the keeper.
82' looks like jonathan dos santos will come on.
83' Bojan going for a cross but pique and messi are both offside.
83' Dos Santos is on for Afellay.
84' Rossi comes in the corner and karate kicks the ball outto a goal kick.
85' Santi Cazorla less than 6 yards away strikes it out and valdes manages to save it! and once again when the ball comes in from a corner, when things just got messy right in front of the goal. Valdes catches it, and everyone is shaking his hand, Dani Alves even gives him a huge. that was an amazing moment.
87' Messi comes in with space but is blocked by gonzalo..... barca regain posession.
88' Villarreal suddenly coming in with lots of energy! All the barca players are on the ground trying for tackles!
88' Alves gets the ball on the right of the goal but loses control and gives it away. Villarreal on the counter attack!
88' It's a huge mess in front of the goal! Busquets is taken down and a free kick is given for barca!
89' 3 minutes added time!
90' Villarreal desperately trying to go for a goal!
91' Santi Cazorla goes for goal but it's high and wide and they finally breaks up the play. Someone's been booked.... or something. it's a bit of a mess. Busquets is booked. He's missing the Almeria game! not el clasico! deliberate time wasting. Looks like Valdes was booked earlier was time wasting as well, but he was saying he needed someone to kick the ball, since he's injured, and wasn't wasting time deliberately.
93' FULL TIME! WOAH! what a game! Valdes is ecstatic, having captained and done so well today.
WE'RE 8 POINTS AHEAD OF MADRID!!!!!
yes, i know i've missed out a few matches. They're on my DVR, i will catch up when i can.
