Ivan Rakitić played the full match in Barcelona’s 5-0 thumping of Sevilla to win the Copa del Rey title on Sunday. Rakitić returned from hand surgery where he fractured a bone earlier in the month. Barcelona take the Copa trophy for the fourth straight year and are primed to lift La Liga silverware in a few weeks. Rakitić should get some time off as the season winds down which would make him rested for the World Cup in June.
Perišić Goal
Ivan Perišić is staying hot down the stretch as he scored the game winner Sunday in Inter Milan’s 2-1 win over Chievo Verona. Perišić had an easy finish in the box in the 61st minute after some solid passing from his teammates. He was subbed off in the 89th minute while Marcelo Brozović played the entire match. With four matches remaining in the season, Inter remain one point behind a Champions League berth.
In other Serie A action, Napoli stunned first place Juventus 1-0 with an injury time winner to close the gap between the two clubs to only one point. Mario Mandžukić came on in the 71st minute but couldn’t find a much needed goal for his side. There are only four games left in the season and the Italian race for a champion is alive and well.
Mandzukic’s days of being the first choice for our National Team are over. With that said, I think he’s second choice, as long as he gets service into the box, otherwise I really don’t think we have another plan “B”! Mandzo is definitely not a winger on our team, we have far better options than him and I think our coach would be a fool to insist he is a winger.
We are thin with our strikers/forwards and we need to see goals from other players…ie…Perisic, Rakitic, Rebic, maybe even Modric and our first option for a true goal scorer is Kramaric.
Kalinic and Cop give me heartburn and I pray Krama heats up!
@Maminjo
“Very scared of having both Kalinić and Mandžo starting.”
That should never be happening! Totally stagnates any flow.
No Vlasic in the team
because honestly, mandzukic is just not that good.
yes he works hard, yes every positive u can say about him is true but he is not a winger. ur number 11s top 3 attributes should not include that he’s in number 3s position.
Pjaca is easily our best option at RW.
I like Brozović, but I don’t want to play him out of position on that right side just because of some perception that he will do better because he’s “in form”.
I’m mostly afraid of us playing both Kalinić and Mandžo at the same time, or trying to make Mandžo or Kramarić wingers.
Very scared of having both Kalinić and Mandžo starting.
Juventus forums lighting up questioning why Mandzukic did not start in their biggest game of the season. I guess Allegri got what he deserved — balkan bumrush for benching a Croat.
halilovic’s crossing is atrocious. his long passing is bad too. halilovic is still pretty young but i think he should be on the squad cuz pjaca is not getting much playing time, rebic is injured, and kramaric shouldn’t play RM imo. although, kramaric is quick in the box he is actually kinda slow on the flank and he can’t defend.
a few weeks ago i thought for sure that kovacic is gonna start over brozovic. but brozo is in crazy good form now.
I’ve been watching those weekly highlights of Halilovic and I like the kid but he looks nowhere near ready to me. I’d take him to Russia as one of our last players but I’d easily start Pjaca over him. Way too inconsistent and not a good enough passer. Got a feeling he’d drive our senior players nuts.
Yea, Da Silva plays the same way.
Either way, Halilović gives us something we need. A player in the midfield who’s constantly looking to unload onto the opposing goal.
Vrsaljko darting up the flank for crosses, and Halilović cutting inside, might be a nice bit of variation on the right side (where we’ve been lacking creativity for some time).
halilovic is a wide player but he is not typical flank
he receives on flank but quickly looks to come inside his play does not provide much width
@ BZ
Indeed … it is beast mode time for Perišić and apparently Brozovic as well.
Such a weapon on the left wing as he can swing in on his left foot as well as cut in for his own shot.
Last two goals from his left foot.
Halilovic on the right flank and then we have the width in attack for our midfield technicians to build the play.
Then you can start Mandžukić for 45 minutes to see if he can bag you a couple of goals!
It’s spring/summer, you know what time that is…Perisic beast season. Another goal, carrying Inter into CL on his back.
After many games on the bench Strinic gets the start and plays full game for Sampdoria. Sampdoria lost 4-0. Yikes, does not bode well for Strinic.
“i want to finish my career at dinamo” “i want to retire at real madrid” “cool mls might be cool too” ….”ne sjecam se” …..just trollin still love modric
http://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/3466440/real-madrids-luka-modric-i-can-see-myself-playing-in-mls
WHITECAPS! WHITECAPS! WHITECAPS!
Ever since Rebic is out, Frankfurt is sucking out. Guess Kovac not as good as Bayern thought. They should have just signed Rebic instead.
barca 5-0 win, rakitic full 90
Also, Sevilla-Barcelona Copa del Rey finals today.
(On TSN2 in Canada.)
Put MAMIC on the jersey !
Bogdanovic just raped the cavs
Are they going to press charges or ?
put suker on the jersey
Nice game for Bogdanovic, 30 points against Lebron and Cavs
Bogdanovic just raped the cavs
Sounds like a fake post but i’ll bite.
Dont put any name.
They look fine without the names on them.
Ivan modric is always a safe bet and for years to come. I still see ac milan boban shirts once in awhile.
Well guys, I’ve just booked my family’s plane tickets to Cro this August and I still need to figure out which names I will put on my brand new jerseys. If I put Subasic on one of them will that make me look like a partial serb? What would my father think? I plan on wearing them as much as I can and I don’t want to be jeered at or laughed at walking the streets of Croatia with my young family. I don’t want my kids mali Tomislav or mala Ljubica to be confused with a different last name on my back either. Any insight would be helpful guys.