Are Real and Barca over reliant on foreign superstars?

Note: football is not played on paper.

The cold dark days of early December bare witness to some of Europe’s key dates. Friday the 2^nd December saw the draw for the European Championships, 6/7^th see the final group games of this year’s Champions League and the 10^th is ‘El Classico’. Spain have been drawn into a challenging group alongside Italy, Croatia and Republic of Ireland. Del Bosque had lots of nice things to say about his opponents:

Review of Spain's games

The England vs Spain game was a far from engrossing encounter it did have some real intrigue to it. Spain are noted and praised for their tiki-taka technique just as Barcelona are and the week before the international friendly Barcelona were held by Athletic Bilbao. Loco Bielsa kept his tactics fairly sane and the rain soaked pitch slowed down the movement of Barcelona. Bielsa was a cult figure in charge of the Chilean national team with his adventurous tactics but it was the defensive tactics of Bilbao that sought most of the praise from the media after the match. After the game Pep Guardiaola said that “We’ve never played against a team who were so intense, so aggressive, and has denied us so much space”. Capello apparently showed clips of the game at San Mames to his England squad.  England started with Phil Jones in midfield and his job was to be big and awkward which he did with aplomb.

England vs Spain preview

England vs Spain preview.

International football friendly’s are rarely high profile affairs but this Saturday’s match between England and Spain at Wembley is certainly one to look forward to, although most of the English press has focussed on ‘poppy-gate’. It should be a fantastic match.

England Squad: Hart (Manchester City), Carson (Bursaspor), Stockdale (Ipswich Town); G Johnson (Liverpool), Jones (Man Utd), Cahill (Bolton Wanderers), Terry, Cole (both Chelsea), Baines, Jagielka* (both Everton), Lescott (Man City), Walker (Tottenham); Lampard (Chelsea), Rodwell (Everton), Downing (Liverpool), Barry (Man City), A Johnson (Man City), Milner (Man City), Parker (Tottenham), Walcott (Arsenal); Bent (Aston Villa), Sturridge (Chelsea), Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Zamora (Fulham), Welbeck (Man Utd).

*John Terry (Chelsea) has been brought into replace the injured Jagielka

Spain Squad: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), José Reina (Liverpool), Víctor Valdés(Barcelona); Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid), Nacho Monreal (Málaga); Xavi (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets(Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Málaga), Javi Martínez (Athletic Bilbao), Cesc Fábregas (Barcelona), Andrés Iniesta  (Barcelona); David Villa(Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Fernando Torres(Chelsea), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Juan Mata (Chelsea),Jesús Navas (Sevilla).