At idle and thinking in Europe

While not nearly come to bring the waiver Pellegrini style (ie: making sincericidio and all), the fact is that Real Zaragoza did not aspire to do many things in the Camp Nou. As much as Javier Aguirre has been talking before and after the game, how important are all the points, falling three players through suspension for the match with FC Barcelona does not seem in any way concerned a coincidence.

The herniated Pep Guardiola, who left the clinic solely to lead the party and then return to be admitted, did not miss the opportunity to rest a number of players with a view to the crucial match that will face Arsenal on Tuesday. With Puyol as the sole occupant of the nurse reappeared Valdes in goal, but came more alternates at once: Milito and Abidal, Mascherano by Busquets, Keita and Iniesta and Bojan for Villa. The Aguirre Basque striker attempted to counter the power of rival playing with a defense of five, clad in stone by a second line of four men.

Barca played in slow motion, with every intention of spending the minimum of fuel to address the meeting. Messi tried their mischief to be five guys on the same play, Xavi sought pace put him to the possession and Bojan and Pedro switched positions again and again without achieving the desired result. In minute 40 the Blaugrana had shot ten times, half of them between the posts. About ten minutes to get rest, he ordered his defense Guardiola organized with three men, freeing the Alves. And when it fell the last grains of sand in the clock of the first half, Messi won the bottom line by getting rid of two rivals, not without a considerable amount of luck, and then put a pass from death to Lanzaro failed to clear, enabling Keita, who was there, and sent the ball into the net.

The well is quite a prize for favorite Guardiola, who did not disappoint once again because, besides the goal, completing a game as seriously as he always does. The hands, despite living close to their goal, they had some chances: one will be pulled down with a providential Tackling and another was Valdés timely departure at the feet of striker. The most obvious, perhaps, was a cross ball was lost Bertolo touching the stick. The truth is that despite the Barça controlled the game from start to finish, the Zaragoza well could have been a disappointment in some of the long balls he sent back behind the local. And if in the first half Bertolo was who accompanied Sinama in seeking to give the stroke, in the second half was a comeback Uche who made a nice run at defenders Blaugrana.

Barca did not know how close the match and, although in the last quarter hour was not out any shot at goal by either team, FC Barcelona more than a finished chewing their fingernails to see that was not yet Zaragoza quite dead. It is undeniable that the game last night was boring but I think the main culprit for the lack of spectacle is not the club, but his opponent, who lost the duel is still stuck in his cave, defending with a minimum of eight men behind the ball. (Perhaps this is a subject to develop further.)

Solved commitment league (the second in a row with the result 1-0, something unusual in Guardiola's team), the club can now concentrate on the ballot difficult to trace the knockout round of Champions League final to Arsenal to come Nou Camp on Tuesday to let the skin to defend their lead. For his part, Zaragoza could finish the day in the relegation zone if Osasuna, Sporting Hercules and achieve the three points this Sunday.

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