Liverpool V Barca: contrasting fixture lists
Rafa will have eleven days to get us ready for the game at the Camp Nou, from February 10, when we face Newcastle, to February 21. But with Valencia to play Barca on the weekend of February 17 and 18, Barcelona will only have four or five days break before European action kicks back in.
Barca have a hectic schedule in the build-up to the game against us. They have no fewer than six matches before February 21, while we have just three.
Six for Barca
Betis (January 24), Celta (January 28), Osasuna (February 3 or 4), Racing (February 10 or 11) and Valencia (February 17 or 18) are Barcelona's league opponents before we go to the Camp Nou, while they also have the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter final against Zaragoza to contend with (February 31). That makes a total of six games in just 23 days.
Half as many for us
Our three games begin with a trip to West Ham (January 30). Then we have Everton (February 3) at Anfield and finally Newcastle (February 10). All Premiership games, after which we have almost two whole weeks in which to get ready for the Bara challenge.
The pros and cons
The question is, is this striking difference in the number of games a good thing or a bad thing from a Liverpool point of view? More games mean more match practice, and that will be of benefit to Barca, but the counterargument is that so much football will have a negative effect on the players, who will be worn out by the time we play them, and also increases the chance of injuries, and on the weekend before the match, while Liverpool will be resting, Barca face a crunch fixture against one of their direct rivals in the hunt for the league championship, Valencia.
Rafa will have eleven days to get us ready for the game at the Camp Nou, from February 10, when we face Newcastle, to February 21. But with Valencia to play Barca on the weekend of February 17 and 18, Barcelona will only have four or five days break before European action kicks back in.
Barca have a hectic schedule in the build-up to the game against us. They have no fewer than six matches before February 21, while we have just three.
Six for Barca
Betis (January 24), Celta (January 28), Osasuna (February 3 or 4), Racing (February 10 or 11) and Valencia (February 17 or 18) are Barcelona's league opponents before we go to the Camp Nou, while they also have the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter final against Zaragoza to contend with (February 31). That makes a total of six games in just 23 days.
Half as many for us
Our three games begin with a trip to West Ham (January 30). Then we have Everton (February 3) at Anfield and finally Newcastle (February 10). All Premiership games, after which we have almost two whole weeks in which to get ready for the Bara challenge.
The pros and cons
The question is, is this striking difference in the number of games a good thing or a bad thing from a Liverpool point of view? More games mean more match practice, and that will be of benefit to Barca, but the counterargument is that so much football will have a negative effect on the players, who will be worn out by the time we play them, and also increases the chance of injuries, and on the weekend before the match, while Liverpool will be resting, Barca face a crunch fixture against one of their direct rivals in the hunt for the league championship, Valencia.
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