Preview: Barcelona - Racing Santander: Saturday 2pmEST

By: Isaiah | September 12th, 2008

La Liga returns with a serious test for Barça in week 2. It may sound over-dramatic to say that second match of a season is make-or-break, but the truth is that the match will be viewed through the lens of the both the last 2 “failed” seasons as well as the brilliant preseason. The media is mad at both Laporta and their own lack of creativity in coming up with new ways of discussing the team, so they latch on to the negative, running with it as far as they can.

If Barça loses or draws this match, the season will be considered a disaster before it has really started, no matter what Real Madrid does against Numancia. If Barça wins — and especially if the win is huge, stylish — the expectations for the next match will sky high once more. That the next match is in the Champions League should be lost on no one as they read match reviews on Sunday.

But the rollercoaster ride that is being a fan of Barcelona in this age of over-exhuberance from Sport and El Mundo Deportivo should also not be lost on anyone. EMD has its own anti-Laporta agenda that has little or nothing to do with the actual games, while Sport is more interested in National Enquirer-esque sensationalism than substance. Either way, the whole point is lost: ball on field, men chasing it.

What of these men, though? Everyone is back from international duty and no one seems to be hurt, which is fantastic news. Messi comes back with Maradona’s words (”selfish”) ringing in his ears, but is otherwise fine, unless the jetlag gets to him. I somehow don’t see that as really happening, but with the Champions League match against Sporting CP coming up on Tuesday, we might just see Messi on the bench for most of the game.

It’s technically 3 losses in a row for the first team, though the 1-3 defeat at the hands of Sant Andreu was in the Copa Catalunya with a squad consisting entirely of B-teamers. But looking at the last 4 games, we’ve got 1 official win and 3 losses, a fact that needs to change in the Camp Nou. Still, after all that, it does feel like this is the first match of the season, as if it it’s a fresh start for everyone.

Hot of the presses, here’s your squad list: Valdés, Pinto, Puyol, Alves, Piqué, Abidal, Sylvinho, Touré, Busquets, Keita, Gudjohnsen, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Víctor Sánchez, Henry, Bojan, Hleb, Eto’o, Messi.

20 players, including Busquets because Marquez and Caceres are out (Marquez just got back from Mexico’s WC Qualifiers, where he scored, and Caceres is still not back because of flight delays and cancellations after his Uruguay WC Qualifiers)

Here’s my starting lineup: Valdés, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Abidal, Touré, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Henry, Eto’o.

A typical lineup, really, but do you expect Guardiola to mix it up that much? If he does mix it up, I think he’ll throw Keita on for Iniesta, though I don’t see this happening because he’ll want to reserve his ability to get more defenders on the field if possible. Messi may be tired, so he’ll probably get subbed out in favor of Bojan or Hleb somewhere around the hour mark. I think, though, that he’ll do some serious damage before that happens. The Camp Nou just seems to inspire the boys…

As for Racing, they’re bringing in a draw at home to Sevilla that could have been a 2-1 victory if it weren’t for a penalty miss by a certain Ezequiel Garay. Remember him? He might have been ours, but for a few pennies worth of difference, it now appears, but will he come back to haunt us? I think not, as we’ll effectively close him down with massive attacking football. The 1-1 draw at home was a bad way to start of the season for Racing and it’s not going to get any better with a trip to Barcelona followed by a visit from Madrid and then a trip to Villarreal. Harsh, really, especially with the UEFA Cup shoved in between us and the Evil Empire.

Mohammed Tchité is a decent striker, but he doesn’t bring that much class to field (8 goals in over 30 games); other than Tchité, they don’t have anyone of great talent up front, or at best they have unproven talent like Jonathan Pereira. Their defense is their strong suit, that’s for sure, but I don’t think they’ll be able to aim for the counterattack game in the Camp Nou where no one is roaring them on, a la Numancia.

I see this game as one of revenge, as one where the boys will be forced to care even if they don’t really (which would be very troubling, of course). Official prediction: 3-1 goals by Messi (2), Eto’o, and Tchité (on a counter towards the end). I think that Henry will set up two of the goals by finally finding himself some space on the left side, though Bojan’s introduction in place of the Frenchman will created the third.

Don’t get me wrong, Racing is a good team (having finished 6th last season), but they’re walking into what should be a pretty serious effort from the boys in blaugrana. Alves is no doubt out to prove himself after having been discarded by Dunga as surplus to requirements (as the CBF should with Dunga, to be honest) and I expect him to make some crazy runs up and down, creating problems alongside Messi.

Need to watch this match? Check out the list of pubs that we’ve got going on and don’t forget to suggest new ones!