We sat down with the brilliant TotalBarca.com blog to ask your questions, ahead of the Champions League final against Barcelona.

A big thank you to Eric Coffin-Gould who was kind enough to answer your questions:

 

1. What system/tactics do you think will work best against Juventus?

Barcelona don’t really change their basic system at this point in the season. They can control the ball less and counter more, but the basic plan will stay the same – it’s gotten them this far, no sense in changing it now. Barcelona will press intensely in defense and initiate attacks from the wings through Neymar and Messi, which should serve them well given Juventus’ naturally narrow diamond midfield.

 2. Whats the latest on Luis Suarez ? Is he going to be ready for the final ?

Yes, he’s fit and ready to play.

3. How do you rate the chances for both teams as a percentage ? 50/50 ?

65/35 Barcelona. Juve are an excellent team, and we’d be fools to underestimate them, but there’s no denying Barcelona are favorites.

4. How good is Busquets nowadays? Improved/the same/over the hill?

Still the best defensive midfielder in the world, and one of the best all-round midfielders. He’s been given a more liberated role this season, with Rakitić and Iniesta’s cover allowing him to be more involved in attack. The change has resulted in a few mistakes and risky plays, but it’s also meant that Busquets has more influence than ever before on the team. He’s especially effective leading the Barça midfield press. Overall, he’s less perfect now , but better, as Gary Neville said recently about Barcelona as a whole.

5. If you take away Rakitic and Iniesta, do you think the front 3 would suffer?

Of course, what team wouldn’t? Less flippantly, they both have very specific roles to allow the forwards to function. Iniesta is playing deeper this season, more defensively, which allows Neymar to dribble more and take more risks. Iniesta also plays the Xavi role, always offering the safe outlet pass when and conducting the entire team. It’s been an adjustment for Iniesta which has seen him take the headlines less, but he’s the linchpin that holds the whole team together right now.

Rakitić, meanwhile, is essential to the amazing form of Messi and Alves. His tactical understanding is first-class, and he perfectly balances out the other two, moving deeper, wide, or forward as needed to maintain the team’s shape. You’ll see Rakitić pop up everywhere, next to Suárez at striker, out wide as a winger, or covering Dani at right-back. Fantastic player, the most underrated of the team right now.

6. Which Juventus player do you fear the most?

Tevez. He’s the type of forward Barça’s defense most struggles against, small, mobile, and extremely clever. His old buddy Javier Mascherano particularly struggles against Karim Benzema in every clásico, and I see Tevez as a very similar player. People worry about Barcelona’s weakness against big men or on set pieces, but in reality we’re very good at defending crosses right now – it’s the little guys you got to watch.

7. What’s the weakest link in the Barcelona midfield/defense?

Alba and Iniesta are more likely to be exposed than Alves and Rakitić, but Neymar helps out more in defense than Messi on the opposite flank, so it evens out, really.

8. As a Barca supporter, would you ever agree to a straight swap between Pogba and Neymar?

Never. Neymar is vital to Barcelona’s system, and he’s also the most mature young player in the world, consistently showing up in the biggest games for club and country. I’ve yet to see anything like that from Pogba, who I think of as immensely talented but still an unfinished product.

9. How flexible is enrique with his tactics, including the ability to react to decisions by opposition managers?

Very flexible. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Allegri and Luis Enrique, two of the most flexible managers in Europe’s elite, are in the final. Lucho has played four different formations this season (diamond midfield, 3-4-3, 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1), as well as a range of styles, from counter-attacking to more traditional Barça possession.

However, he has limited options, which often makes him hesitant with substitutions. Barcelona have great players on the bench, but because the squad is still in transition from the Pep era, there are very few like-for-like subs. Any substitute forces changes across the field – Pedro means less dribbling options, Mascherano at DM means less control, Xavi offers less of a defensive presence than Iniesta and Rafinha is a bit raw still. So while he’s not adverse to making changes or taking risks, Luis Enrique has consistently chosen to leave substitutions till late if the game is still in the balance and trust his starters as long as possible.

10. Last time we faced Barca, Juve won. Is playing a single game against us an advantage or disadvantage?

The better team almost always wins over two-legged ties, whereas a single game leaves more to chance and favors the underdog.

11. Your Strongest XI made out of the two teams combined?

You’re not gonna like this, but a Barcelona XI. Honestly, the weakest member of Barça’s XI right now is Andrés Iniesta, and he’s such a legend and capable of such genius that I could not in good conscience trade him for any Juve midfielder.

12. Many people see this game as the Barca attack against the Juve defense. (Midfield more or less equal) Agreed or is there more to this game?

I don’t think Juventus will sit back and defend. That’s the popular narrative, given that they’re Italian and Barça’s attack is so good, but after watching the Juve-Madrid tie I think the midfield battle is far more important. Juventus aren’t pushovers, and they have an extremely talented, physical midfield. Moreover, if the Italians do try to defend deep and absorb pressure, I don’t think it’ll go well – they looked shaky defending a 1-1 against Real Madrid, and Barcelona’s attack is simply too good to keep out if they get too many chances.

13. Allegri, the Barca magnet, do you rate him a pushover or a tactical genius who makes the most out of the team he manages?

I think the 2-0 win at San Siro in 2013 was one of the best defensive performances I’ve seen against Barcelona, so I give him huge credit for that, even though Barça were also horrible in possession. Overall, I don’t have a particularly great sense of his abilities – Barça played Milan 8 times in that period, but it never seemed like there was a clear system or pattern to Allegri’s style of play year-to-year. I think he’s a flexible manager who always made the most of the changing squads at his disposal. Like most, I’ve been surprised and impressed at his success with Juve this season.