awful first half from madrid

what a mess of a performance that was

You need Bale

we need central defenders who can defend.
central midfielders who can control a match
a striker who can keep himself onside and finish off chances

not bale though

after madrid v complacently lost the league in the first 10 matches of last season...you think that bunch of players would have learnt the lesson

obviously not !

Buy Illaramendi

he's having stress issues since joining madrid apparently

lets see if madrid play better in the 2nd half

happy birthday ioag

sainty

v poor game from madrid
too much space between mid and def

bit better in the 2nd half i suppose with casemiro in the team

was not impressed

great goal by isco to win it though

nice goal from d costa

1-2 atleti

cristian rodriguez scores a lovely goal to win the match for atleti

I'd love it for Atleti to actually put in a challenge to the big 2 this season.

Not too worried about the start tbh, we bagged the 3 points, GD shouldn't worry us at this stage and we were always going to need time to make the transition back from Mourinho to football. Other sides have started worse and lifted the title in May.

Barça's demolition of Levante doesn't really impress me either. Found that on transfermarkt you can search a manager and see his H2H against any side of your choice. It turns out that for 90% of his career, the teams Caparros has managed have been a bunch of puppies in Barça's hands. Yesterday was his 29th game against Barça dating back to 2001, in which time his sides have beaten them a massive once. That includes his days at a handy Athletic side, an emerging Sevilla and a Depor team that could still challenge for Europe.

And Isco ...assists the equaliser and scores the winner in a tough match on his league debut at the Bernabeu. Couldn't have asked for a more promising start.

Olvier Torres vs Sevilla:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNnXpVbZ3ts

IOAG,I'll pass that on

Thanks Admin, v kind of you.

Morning IOAG Admin everyone_else
Could OT be the answer for Atletico's uninventive midfield? I don't know how many times I watched them last season and thought how they could use with a more creative midfielder!

I missed all the matches in the first round this weekend! Was at my nephews birthday party on Saturday and could only catch a glimpse of our match from far and I had to take care of business in my parent's house which they now rent out.

I think I need to get done with the rest of my predos in the predos thread.

yer isco had a v good debut

already looks like the heartbeat of the team

Barca looking like a beast already, Martino already applied then high pressure game \o/

Barca looking like a beast already, Martino already applied then high pressure game \o/
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I saw Xavi in an interview saying how they had worked on their intensity and pressing and was pretty worried for the rest of Europe. Whenever that Barca team has played a high pressing, high intensity game, they have looked invincible. Why that was missing from their game last year, I have no idea.

We just need to beat Almeria 8-0 tonight to top the table.

i think the barca players..especially towards the end of the season were tired mentally and physically, and unable to play their pressing game so well