Courtois comparison with Valdes statistically

With Victor Valdes‘ move away from Barcelona becoming more and more likely  there are an increasing amount of rumours circulating regarding the Spaniard’s replacement, according to Sky Sports. Despite the criticism which Valdes has gained during his spell in Catalonia it is difficult to argue that he has been an excellent custodian – since making his first team debut in the 2002-03 season, the ‘keeper has made 369 appearances for Barca, winning five Zamora Trophies in the process.
Thibaut Courtois has been mooted as a possible replacement for Valdes and the fantastic ability which the on-loan Atletico Madrid stopper has demonstrated in recent years suggests that he would be an able replacement for the current incumbent. However, the question lingers as to whether or not he would be as good a replacement for Valdes.
Shot stopping is the critical area for goalkeepers, the bare minimum ability which they are expected to possess. In this department, despite memorable performances from Courtois which incited many fans to call for the Belgian to replace Petr Cech at Chelsea, Valdes comes out on top statistically.
The Barcelona goalkeeper makes on average four saves to every goal which he concedes, a figure which makes Courtois’ 2.5 look poor in comparison. Whilst there has to be some leeway with this statistic due to the quality of shot faced, Valdes actually faces more shots per game than Courtois; the difference in these two figures suggest a slight difference in class between the two.

Thibaut Courtois saves per game this season

One attribute which Courtois has been praised for is his ability to dominate aerial battles; it is a trait which led many pundits to suggest he would be perfectly suited to the Premier League. In this department, both men have been as good as each other – whilst the Belgian goalkeeper has an 88% claim success rate, he is yet to lose an aerial battle and the figure is only down from 100% due to a game in which Courtois did not attempt to claim a cross. Similarly, the Barca man is yet to lose an aerial battle.
This aerial ability has a calming effect on defenders and supporters alike, adding an extra air of reassurance to a back four, and this season both goalkeepers have provided their team with this.

Thibaut Courtois’ claims success this season

Barcelona are renowned for their tendency to play out from defence, and as such a goalkeeper is required to have excellent distribution. Valdes has bettered Courtois in this department thus far this season, possessing a distribution success rate of 68% which overshadows his rumoured replacement’s 56%.

Victor Valdes’ distribution this season

This suggests that, should Courtois replace Valdes, he would have to seriously work on his kicking accuracy so as to avoid having a detrimental effect upon Barcelona’s tactics – as minute a detail as it appears, the distribution of a goalkeeper is becoming ever more important in modern day football.
Despite the criticism which Valdes has attained over the years, he has been – and remains to be – a terrific goalkeeper. The Spaniard fits in with Barcelona’s tactics and provides a safety net should the defence fail – the 22 saves which he has made this season, conceding just six times, is testament to this. His performances this season have bettered Courtois’ and it will be a big loss for Martino’s side when he departs.
However, Courtois’ performances both this season and the two years prior to this which he has spent on loan at Atletico Madrid have shown that he is capable of making the step up, and should he replace Valdes, there will not – nor should not – be too many worried faces at the Camp Nou

Player Ratings of yesterday's match

Victor Valdés

6.8

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 31 Passes: 20 Pass Accuracy: 85% Shots Faced: 1 Saves Made: 0 Arron says: 6.0 It was a quiet night for Victor Valdés in the Barcelona goa, as Real Valladolid barely ventured into the Blaugrana half, let alone mustered a sustained spell of pressure on the Barça goal. As a result, Valdés was left with very little to do – and even then, he could do nothing about Javi Guerra’s excellent headed goal. Not his most memorable performance of the season that’s for sure...

Dani Alves

7.1

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 101 Passes: 79 Pass Accuracy: 92% Key Passes: 2 Shots/Shots on Target: 1/0 Tackles: 2 Interceptions: 1 Turnovers: 1 Fouls Won: 1 Arron says: 7.0 Similarly, I was a little underwhelmed with Dani Alves’ performance on the right-hand side of the Barcelona defense; defensively he was relatively sound, but offensively, he was uncharacteristically quiet. With Alexis Sánchez drifting inside, Alves rarely saw the ball on the wing, but he did provide one good cross last night in the closing moments, when Alexis had a great chance to complete his hat-trick.

Gerard Pique

6.8

Minutes played: 79 Touches: 63 Passes: 56 Pass Accuracy: 93% Tackles: 3 Interceptions: 3 Clearances: 0 Aerial Duels Won: 1 Arron says: 7.0 I’m probably in the minority, but I’m actually reasonably pleased with Gerard Piqué’s recent performances. They might not be outstanding, but has he cost us any points? Has he really cost us that many goals? It’s clear that Piqué is still adjusting to Martino’s zonal/man-marking hybrid system on corners – but it’s also tough to watch Piqué get criticised for the opening goal when his role no longer involves marking an opposing player.

Marc Bartra

7.9

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 79 Passes: 61 Pass Accuracy: 93% Tackles: 5 Interceptions: 4 Clearances: 2 Aerial Duels Won: 2 Arron says: 8.0 Excellent, as per usual. Marc Bartra was in inspired form last night, leading the team in tackles and interceptions. His long-range effort after Valladolid’s opener was surprisingly brilliant – at the moment, he really can do no wrong. Still, it was only Real Valladolid and it’ll be interesting to see whether Martino gives him some game-time against either AC Milan or Real Madrid after the international break, especially once Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol are fully fit.

Adriano Correia

6.8

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 104 Passes: 79 Pass Accuracy: 94% Tackles: 1 Interceptions: 3 Fouls Won: 1 Key Passes: 2 Arron says: 7.0 Much like Alves, Adriano had a quiet game on the left-hand side of defense, lacking that incisiveness that he usually brings to the team. On the other hand, he was solid at the back – and isn’t that what matters? While Adriano was beaten by Javi Guerra for the game’s first goal, there are question marks as to whether he should have been marking the Spaniard – why not Alex Song for instance?

Alex Song

6.9

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 110 Passes: 102 Pass Accuracy: 100% Tackles: 3 Interceptions: 4 Fouls Won: 1 Aerial Duels Won: 0 Turnovers: 1 Jordan says: 7.5 In for the rested Sergio Busquets, Song put in what was, overall, a good shift, but was marred by a few errors in positioning. From the first whistle, Song started strongly. He made a great early interception on a cross, and generally caused problems with his physical strength. But after this strong start Song seemed to lose himself positionally, and in dropping into the back line superfluously left the midfield bare to a Valladolid counter. Hesitating to step forward and slow down the ball, Bartra was forced into conceding a corner, which Valladolid’s Guerra capitalized on. For the rest of the half, Song was largely shaky in a positional sense, and was dribbled past far too easily. While many Cules expected to see Busquets starting the second half, Tata Martino had other ideas and gave Song the full match. This proved a smart decision, as Alex grew into the game. His passing never in doubt, Song continually provided a smart outlet and distributed well. He put in a few well-timed tackles and shepherded play into non-dangerous areas. Amazingly, Song finished with 100% pass completion, and saw out a match which could’ve easily gotten away from him.

Cesc Fàbregas

7.2

Minutes played: 65 Touches: 77 Passes: 70 Pass Accuracy: 90% Shots/Shots on Target: 2/1 Turnovers:0 Key Passes: 2 Fouls Won: 1 Jordan says: 7.0 In a somewhat restrained performance from Cesc which saw him subbed off in the 65th minute, Barca’s number 4 provided reliability and good defensive play. He also should’ve picked up an assist and perhaps even a goal or two, but the former saw Neymar bundled over in the box while the latter saw him launch a cutback pass into the cheap seats and tamely shoot at the keeper a few minutes later. While not his worst performance, it was decidedly average from Cesc given his recent form.

Xavi

7.8

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 163 Passes: 150 Pass Accuracy: 95% Shots/Shots on Target: 3/1 Fouls Won: 0 Turnovers: 0 Key Passes: 4 Successful Dribbles: 0 Jordan says: 8.5 What seemed a rare lackadaisical Xavi performance in the beginning turned into a near masterclass from the Barca maestro. After giving away a few early balls and skying a free kick, Xavi got back to doing Xavi things. Brilliant in possession with neat “la pelopina” turns, Xavi racked up over 160 touches on the ball in 90 minutes. He also aggressively sprayed forward passes into Neymar, initiating a neat counter attack which ended in a Tello chance in the 16th minute. Xavi failed to take another chance in the first half, but there was no hesitation when soon after the second began a weaving Neymar run found Tello on the left, whose cross was deftly tucked away first time by an unmarked Xavi. Now in full maestro mode, Xavi again initiated a counter -- a quick ball through to Neymar allowed the Brazilian to turn and play a ball in-stride to Alexis who blasted far corner. These three were involved again a little over five minutes later, when Xavi produced a brilliant piece of skill with the outside of his boot, meeting a clipped pass in the air and guiding it into the path of Alexis, who passed up the hat trick opportunity for an assist to Neymar. A brilliant game from Xavi overall.

Alexis Sánchez

9.0

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 65 Passes: 48 Pass Accuracy: 92% Shots/Shots on Target: 4/3 Fouls Won: 4 Successful Dribbles: 1 Key Passes: 3 Turnovers: 2 Arron says: 9.0 Two goals and an assist – Alexis Sánchez returned to form last night with a sensational performance that inspired the Blaugrana to their eighth successive La Liga victory. I’m still in shock over his first goal – just who in the world would have anticipated a thunderbolt from Alexis? The Chilean’s second of the evening was similarly well-taken as he calmly slotted the ball past Diego Marino to secure the three points. More of the same please Alexis!

Neymar

9.0

Minutes played: 90 Touches: 96 Passes: 67 Pass Accuracy: 78% Shots/Shots on Target: 6/2 Fouls Won: 5 Successful Dribbles: 9 Key Passes: 2 Turnovers: 8 Arron says: 9.0 My admiration for Neymar was well-known prior to his move to FC Barcelona – but my admiration has almost turned into an obsession since that summer switch: this kid is something else. Replacing Lionel Messi is an impossible task, but Neymar managed to pull it off. Sure, he wasn’t as clinical as Leo probably would have been, and perhaps a little more wasteful, but it was a passable impression. A constant threat to the Real Valladolid defense with his trickery, close control and vision, Neymar helped himself to his fifth assist of this young La Liga campaign, also grabbing a well-deserved second goal. Easily my MoTM.

Cristian Tello

7.0

Minutes played: 73 Touches: 43 Passes: 37 Pass Accuracy: 92% Shots/Shots on Target: 3/0 Fouls Won: 0 Key Passes: 2 Successful Dribbles: 1 Turnovers: 0 Arron says: 7.5 Unfortunately, Cristian Tello was by far the “weak-link” in the Barcelona attack, yet he finished the match with two assists and a shot that rattled off the woodwork. Perhaps that’s testament then to the sublime performances of both Neymar and Alexis, as Tello actually played quite well. His hesitance in the final third arguably cost him a goal, but overall, Tello will be pleased with his performance.

Andres Iniesta	7.1
Minutes played: 25 Touches: 48 Passes: 46 Pass Accuracy: 93% Arron says: 7.0 Andrés Iniesta replaced Cesc Fàbregas on the 65 minute mark and produced an assured performance in the middle of the park. Nothing fancy, just efficient football from one of the world’s best.

Pedro	6.3
Minutes played: 17 Touches: 15 Passes: 14 Pass Accuracy: 86% Arron says: N/A Pedro replaced Cristian Tello with 17 minutes left on the clock, but failed to see enough of the ball to warrant a full rating from me.

Sergio Busquets	6.7
Minutes played: 11 Touches: 16 Passes: 13 Pass Accuracy: 100% Arron says: 7.5 In a switch that very much came out of left-field, Sergio Busquets replaced Gerard Piqué in the heart of defense and looked his usual composed self in a 13 minute cameo appearance. Be that as it may, I don’t really want to see Busi pushed back there again...

The Team

8.5

Passes: 868 Pass Accuracy: 92% Shots/Shots on Target: 21/8 Tackles: 22 Aerial Battles Won: 37% Fouls Won/Committed: 15/7 Arron says: 8.5 The opening ten minutes were largely forgettable, the remaining 80 were business as usual, as Barcelona overturned a one-goal deficit at the Camp Nou to win by three clear goals against Real Valladolid. At times, Barcelona may have struggled, but they pulled it all together in an impressive second-half display and were thoroughly deserving of the three points.

Gerardo Martino	8.4
Arron says: 8.5 Martino kept the faith in his own personal rotation system and it paid off big time with an eighth successive Liga win.

MOTM - Neymar	51%
Arron says: Neymar With a little over 50% of the vote, Neymar walked away with the Man of the Match award ahead of Alexis Sanchez (47%).

Barcelona FC blew Valladolid off their feet.

Four star: Barça were in imperious form once more

David Ramos

A mouthwatering second half performance from a Neymar-inspired Barcelona saw off the challenge of Real Valladolid at Camp Nou on Saturday night.
An Alexis Sanchez brace and a goal a piece from Xavi Hernandez and Neymar helped the Catalans to a 4-1 win, extending their 100 per cent start in the La Liga season to eight matches.
Gerardo Martino, who was without Lionel Messi, again chose to rotate, leaving Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez and Sergio Busquets on the bench.
It looked like the wrong decision when Valladolid took the lead in the 10th minute, Javi Guerra heading past Victor Valdes after being left free. Like Real Madrid earlier on Saturday evening though, Barca's reply was instant.
Cristian Tello rolled the ball to Sanchez, who took a couple of touches before rifling into Diego Marino's top corner from 20 yards.
Minutes later a brilliant turn and pass from Neymar, who was granted a more central role, sent Cristian Tello scampering clean through; former Barca defender Marc Valiente got across to block the youngster's shot.
Zakaria Bedgdich then saw a shot deflected wide for the visitors, before Neymar saw two penalty appeals turned down in a minute just after the half hour mark.
The first looked soft, but the second looked suspiciously like a spot-kick following clumsy defending from Carlos Pena.
It wouldn't prove pivotal to the outcome of the match though, as Barca emerged after the break looking like a different team.
Within seven minutes they'd taken the lead. Neymar fed Tello, who crossed first time for Xavi to supply a deft finish past Marino.
Neymar then hit the side netting and Tello rattled the bar before Sanchez put the game out of Valladolid's reach.
A perfectly weighted ball from Neymar allowed the Chilean behind the visiting defence, and his composed finish was that of a man who has started the season in fine fettle.
Six minutes later the roles were reversed, the outcome the same. Typically brilliant build-up play created the perfect opening for Sanchez to complete his hat-trick, but he opted to unselfishly square for Neymar to score the goal his performance deserved.
There was still time for another penalty appeal when Jesus Rueda clipped the showboating Neymar in the box and the Brazilian later tried his luck from distance as Barca sought a fifth.
It stayed at four though. When the Blaugrana travel to Osasuna after the international break they'll be looking to equal Madrid's record start of nine straight wins from 1968.

Reports on Barcelona vs Valladolid

Two Alexis Sanchez goals helped Barcelona win their 19th consecutive home match in la Liga with a routine 4-1 victory over Valladolid on Saturday night.

The Spanish champions were without the injured Lionel Messi, but the Chile international stepped up in his place as he equalised with a wonderful strike after Javi Guerra's surprise opener.

Valladolid caused their hosts problems in the first half, but it was one-way traffic in the second period as Xavi, Sanchez and Neymar completed the rout to extend their 100 per cent start to the league season.

After their battling win over Celtic in the Champions League, Gerardo Martino made only three changes as Alex Song, Alexis and Cristian Tello replaced Sergio Busquets, Pedro and Andres Iniesta.



Valladolid's last match saw them draw 2-2 with Malaga and Juan Ignacio Martinez reintroduced Zakarya Bergdich, Omar Ramos and Fausto Rossi into his starting XI.

The visitors took a surprising 10th-minute lead at Camp Nou as Guerra rose above Adriano to head Patrick Ebert's corner for his fourth league goal of the season, but it did not last long.

Barcelona drew level within four minutes as Alexis marched towards the area and drilled a fearsome strike into the top corner of the goal.

The home fans were incensed around the half-hour mark as Carlos Pena blatantly tripped Neymar inside the area, but referee Jesus Gil made the questionable decision to give the hosts nothing.

Barca were left frustrated as Sanchez screwed a shot wide and Xavi blazed a free-kick over the crossbar to send the sides in level at the break.

Valladolid came out after half-time undoubtedly looking to keep things tight initially, but Barcelona took the lead within seven minutes.

Neymar surged at the Valladolid defence before picking out Tello to his left, and the winger crossed low into the area for Xavi to direct the ball into the bottom far corner.

A few moments later, Tello was involved again as he cut in from the left, but this time he went for goal himself only for his effort to crash off the crossbar.

Barca did add a third in the 64th minute, however. After an excellent through-ball from Neymar, Alexis cruised into the area and confidently fired past Diego Marino.

Six minutes later their roles were reversed. Alexis found himself played into the area, but instead of shooting the Chilean squared to Neymar, who calmly placed a shot into the bottom corner.

The vibrant Neymar went in search of his second of the match as he cut in from the left, but he sent his effort comfortably over Marino's crossbar and Alexis headed straight at the keeper as the hosts were made to settle for their three-goal triumph.

Barca's quest for a defender might end with Bartra's uprising

Chelsea and Liverpool can rest easily after a report in Marca suggests Barcelona have stopped looking for a centre back.

The summer saw plenty of attention falling onto Chelsea’s David Luiz and Liverpool’s Daniel Agger, with Spanish champions Barcelona reportedly looking to sure up their defence.
Barca’s thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich illustrated problems in their back four, which was one of the reasons the club made an approach for David Luiz in the summer while links with Agger were also maintained.
However, it seems they had the answer all along in the form of youngster Marc Bartra, who has made a significant impact on the first team at the Nou Camp this campaign.
“Marc Bartra’s last three matches for Barcelona have put an end – if not permanently, then at least short-term - to a long-standing debate. The Catalan club will not bring in a centre-back during January,” reads the report in AS.
The 21-year-old Spaniard has featuring in starting roles and sub appearances in both La Liga and the Champions League this season, with emphasis on his enthusiasm, passion and determination when he has played.
His performance against Celtic earlier in the week seems to be getting him a lot of attention back in Spain, as he grew into the match after a difficult start at Celtic Park.
Barca boss Gerardo Martino would have been looking for a reaction from him following the summer, when the club tried to replace him and they can’t help but like what they’ve seen.
“Bartra has proven he is ready to play at Barça. He showed signs of his talent against Real Sociedad and Almería, but the definitive proof came during his outstanding performance against Celtic in the Champions League,” adds the report.
With his deal at the club due to expire next summer, it was also very important for him to perform this season as he looks to try and earn himself a new contract in Barca colours.
If he continues to play well when he’s given a chance and shows the same levels of drive and enthusiasm, then Barca have a very easy choice of extending his contract at the end of the campaign over spending millions of Euros for a potentially complicated transfer.
Bartra’s current reputation seems to be that he’s a solid central defender behind Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano at the club, which gives Martino two options on either side of central defence.
Whether you believed Barca would make another approach for David Luiz or a first official move for Agger or not, the news is undoubtedly positives for those Premier League sides because it reduces the chances of them losing key players.

Barca vs Valladolid preview

David Ramos/Getty Images

Reigning Spanish champions Barcelona will look to run their impressive winning streak to eight in a row on Saturday at Camp Nou when they host Real Valladolid in the first of two La Liga meetings in 2013.

While Gerardo Martino's short-handed squad will play without Lionel Messi for the second straight match on Saturday, Barca will still be heavy favorites to pick up three points against Pucela.
The Catalan giants boast an unblemished record through seven league matches while Valladolid have struggled out of the gate, winning just one of their first seven matches and going 0-2-1 on the road.
Even worse, Valladolid have been outscored 9-6 in league play, producing just two goals in enemy territory thus far.
Can Pucela turn things around this weekend?
Here, we'll get you ready with everything you need to know for Saturday's La Liga tilt.

Date: Saturday, October 5, 2013
Time: 4 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. BST
Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
Odds*:
Barcelona: 83.1 percent
Real Valladolid: 6.2 percent
Draw: 10.7 percent


Top Storyline: Barcelona Looking to Keep Pace Without Lionel Messi

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

The biggest storyline by far heading into Saturday's clash between Barcelona and Real Valladolid is the absence of the world's best player, Lionel Messi, who is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks while he recovers from a thigh injury suffered last weekend.
Messi has scored 11 goals in nine appearances in all competitions for Barca in 2013-14 and his presence alone has been a huge key to the club's success.
In their first match without Messi on Tuesday against Celtic, it was Cesc Fabregas who turned out to be the hero, netting a goal in the 75th minute to power Barca to a 1-0 win that keeps the club firmly atop their Champions League group table.
Attacking threats such as Fabregas, Neymar and Pedro will be key for Martino's squad this weekend if they hope to continue winning and keep pace with Atletico Madrid, who are also perfect through seven La Liga matches.

Even without Messi in the mix, watch for Barcelona to cruise to victory on Saturday. No other club in La Liga has conceded fewer goals than Barca this season and no club has scored more either.
Outside of Javi Guerra, Valladolid don't boast enough danger in the final third to overwhelm Barcelona's defense. On the other hand, the defending champions possess depth at the top of the lineup with Neymar leading the way.
Though Barca's attack won't be nearly as lethal without Messi, expect their defense (only six goals conceded in 11 matches) to smother their over-matched opponents.

Chelsea pips Barca in yet another defender race

Chelsea have beaten Barcelona to the signature of Argentinean centre-back Nicolas Otamendi after agreeing a deal with Porto, according to the Express.

Otamendi moved to Porto in a £3.5million deal from Vélez Sársfield in 2010 and has established himself as a first team regular at the Estádio do Dragão ever since. The Express claims that both Chelsea and Barcelona held talks with the Portuguese champions over the summer about signing Otamendi but were unable to agree terms.

It seems the duo have refused to give up and the newspaper suggests that Porto are now resigned to losing the 25-year-old defender, and expect him to move to Stamford Bridge next summer after a deal was agreed with the Blues.

The report doesn’t provide any details on the fee that has supposedly been agreed but it claims that Chelsea were able to strike the deal following a personal plea from former Porto boss and current Chelsea supremo, Jose Mourinho.

Otamendi is a powerful centre-back who’s been capped 15 times by Argentina and he’d provide Mourinho with another option at the back if he does end up moving to west London next summer. Captain John Terry is in the final year of his contract and at 33-years-old, a long-term replacement is going to be needed some time soon and Otamendi could be just the man for the job.

However, it’s worth remembering that this is still just paper talk and until something official comes out from Chelsea or Porto, you should take it with a pinch of salt.