Posted on 04-01-2009 under Previews

Wow, Wednesday already! One week for all of this to be proven to be the steaming pile that it is…


Having completed the starting XI, the Ultimate Preview shifts it’s focus to the special group of players who may be scratching their noses one minute and the next minute entering one of the biggest stages in the world. Again, at this moment there are injury questions for each side, but I expect many of the regular starters to give it a go. Anyone with any knowledge or speculation otherwise is encouraged to hit up the comments section. Following the subs preview, some other odds and ends that may be of interest.


Substitutes


For Barcelona, manager Pep Guardiola has a handful of players that he has used outside his core of starters this season, with some having more success than others. As you’ll see, many are new to the Catalan club and in some cases, they haven’t adapted to the club’s signature style just yet, and as such, may not be at the tip of Guardiola’s tongue when he’s calling in substitutes.


Keita


Old Tigerblog favorite (and ex-Lens man) Seydou Keita is one of these new boys, and he’s adapted fairly well. As he played such a role at RC Lens, many thought that he would be a more defensive player at the Camp Nou. In fact he has adapted to Barcelona’s mercurial passing attack very well, and this season he has displayed an eye for goal that few foresaw him having. This leaves him as a very well-rounded midfielder that tends to play with a good understanding of his teammates, positioning and role. While not in the class of Barcelona’s midfield antelope Yaya Touré, we should expect to see the Mali international come on if Touré picks up a booking or as a substitute for one of the Barcelona forward players Eto’o, Messi, or Henry (along with a formation change) if they are looking to protect a lead in either match.


Busquets


The other defensive midfielder in the Barcelona stable is the young’un Sergio Busquets. Having risen quickly through the Barcelona system, Busquets has gained the trust of coach Guardiola and we very well may see him in this massive tie. More of a defensive player, Busquets is not afraid to mix it up and will no doubt be seen scrapping with Bayern midfielders and giving them little space. He’s an intriguing player, and I bet Guardiola will be looking to find a way to use him. At some point he may be called on to spell Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, or Messi. If Barca need to play defensively, look for him to come in and it should not be a surprise at all if he gives the Bavarians hell with his disruptive play.


Gudjohnsen


Joining Keita on the bench is Eiður Guðjohnsen. In his third season with the club, the Icelandic ace’s best days are probably behind him but Guðjohnsen’s has experience in big games. He plays with a decent understanding of Barca’s attacking flow although he doesn’t seem to have the absolute skill to make the perfect pass each time. Similarly, converting chances at goal is a bit of a crapshoot for him, as he tends to rush shots and miss finishes. On the otherhand, he does have good size and can keep possession pretty well. Guardiola is probably secretly hoping that he doesn’t have to deploy Eiður, but look for him to come on late in either match if Barca are looking for goals.


Bojan


Guardiola can also turn to the young Bojan Krkić if he’s looking for an attacking edge. Bojan has been pegged as an ascending star for Barcelona and Spain, but his progression through the Barca pecking order hasn’t been as quick as many expected, and this season he has shown both brilliance and mediocrity in his appearances for the Barca boys. Bayern’s physicality may preclude Bojan from making an appearance, but if Henry or Iniesta are getting manhandled or Messi gets hurt, look for the speedy Bojan to come in. Also, if Barca have a lead that they are comfortable with, look for Bojan to come on to spell one of the estrellas and try to add to the lead.


Piqué


In defense, Barca will have a choice between young Spaniard Gerard Piqué and Brazilian silver fox Sylvinho. Piqué has been getting more opportunities and could even start next to Puyol (this would be more likely, depending on circumstances, in the 2nd leg). He has good height, though he hasn’t quite figured out how to use it. Like fellow young buck Busquets, I think it’s likely Guardiola will be looking to find a way to get him in the game, so I’d expect him to come on for Rafa Marquez in the first game, particularly if Rafa gets a card. The wingback Sylvinho may be called on to replace Éric Abidal if Abidal is winded or if Guardiola spots a opportunity for him on that side of the pitch.


As we discussed yesterday, usual substitute Lukas Podolski will most likely get the start for the injured Miro Klose, so München’s bench depth will not be what we’ve seen for most of the year, though there still are some strong players on the Bayern bench that will probably appear.


Altintop


Tigerblog favorite Hamit Altintop was selected to the Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament as a fullback, the only player selected from Turkey’s surprising squad. For Bayern he usually plays on the wing as a midfielder, and is both adept on the dribble and generating dangerous crosses. While I’m of the opinion that he should be in the starting XI over Bastian Schweinsteiger, he has not done enough in the eyes of the coaches to completely displace Der Schweini. This, coupled with the fact that he has been fighting injuries all season, have not given him the chance to jell with the Bayern starters. While he rarely appears as a fullback for Bayern, Bayern manager Jürgen Klinsmann may realize that he could pose trouble to the Barcelona left side and could replace Oddo at right back if Bayern want a more attacking edge. It’s more likely that he would come on for Schweinsteiger even though Bastian usually plays 90 minutes. If Bastian needs to come out to to booking or injury, Hamit will be the man to replace him.


Lell


Christian Lell is a wingback who brings great energy and agility to the Bayern side. He doesn’t have the strength that former Bayern kinder-wingback Marcel Jansen had, nor is he as technically sound with possession as Massimo Oddo, but he could be useful in this tie. I could see him fighting tooth and nail with Thierry Henry or Sammy Eto’o, but I could also see him getting caught out and punished, too. It says here that he’ll definitely appear in this tie, and as stated earlier, I fully expect him to get a booking. The question is when he’s in, will he play to his strengths or try to do too much and pay for it?


Sosa


A big question mark for the München faithful will be whether the engimatic Argentine José Ernesto Sosa will play and how effective he’ll be. Bayern expected him to be the second coming of former favorite Claudio Pizarro, but like Bojan Krkić for Barca, his maturation hasn’t been has fast as many would have liked. He’s been playing better of late and scored a few goals, so Klinsmann may be curious enough to put him in. If Podolski is ineffective he may get the hook in favor of Sosa, and similarly, if not-quite-fit Luca Toni needs a break, Sosa may get his chance on the big stage.


Van Buyten


The tallest player in the matchup is the big Belgian Daniel Van Buyten. Van Buyten is a quality centerback that could probably start for most clubs, but his inconsistency keeps him on the bench in Munich. If Bayern really wanted to get defensive, they could put him in as a defensive midfielder. If he is in, look for him to be active on corners and set pieces, as he is an effective header of the ball and could give the Catalans matchup problems.


Borowski


Two others who may factor in for Bayern are Tim Borowski and Andreas Ottl. Borowski has been effective since his summer move from Werder Bremen, and if Bayern need to replace captain Van Bommel with a similar field-general type of player with more of an attacking presence, it could very well be Borowski, who has a good sense of positioning and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. This of course may be more likely given Van Bommel’s propensity for bookings. Ottl is a more defensive midfield type of player who could also play fullback, but Klinsmann would probably only use him at last resort.


Uniforms


Of course these respective choices may very well mean the difference between victory and defeat, hence they are necessary to discuss.


My guess is that at the Camp Nou Barcelona will be wearing the famous Blaugrana, which will force Bayern to wear their whites.


When they play in Germany, Bayern will revert to their familiar red and white hoops while Barca will probably wear their yellows. I suppose there’s a chance they wear their jarring aquamarine kits, but the feeling here is that it’s the yellows.


Stadiums


Both the Nou Camp and Allianz will be packed, and both will be crazy.


WAGs


o_O


After painstaking WAG research, we’re of the opinion that the greatest of the WAGz in this contest is Bastian Schweinsteiger’s GF Sara Brandner.


o_O


Well that does it for subs. Tomorrow we’ll be back for a tactical breakdown as the preview keeps a-rolling.