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Barcelona looking to return to their winning ways and resume the course to win the CL

Thun lost 31-19 to Kadetten on Wednesday without playmaker Roman Caspar, who will be absent once again. The Swiss champions are looking at another heavy defeat.

After an unexpected start of the Champions League last Saturday, Barcelona are looking to bounce back with a win today and achieve one of their primary goals this season - winning the Champions League.

- I want to win everything with Barcelona so I can retire and die peacefully. It is high time to win the Champions League. We are optimistic, this team is made for big things. I try to forget all my previous trophies so that I have an even greater motivation to win. It's what makes the difference between good players and those who write history - said Karabatic for Esports Cope.
Vardar are in the past, it is now time for new victories, and the Swiss champions are the first in line. Thun are the weakest side in the group and they could get seriously thrashed since Barca are looking for a victim to release their frustration from the Vardar match. However, Barcelona coach Pascual says that they don't have anything to prove and that the team isn't looking for revenge. Everybody is calm and focused, but aware that they cannot take this match easily since every European match must be played with maximum effort, keeping a high tempo and concentration throughout. All players are at Pascual's disposal, and he will probably continue with his usual squad rotations, so lefty Saubich, who was being rested against Ademar, should start the match. Also, he is going to continue with his hockey-style substitutions (every 15-20 minutes) in order to keep the intensity up. We are also accustomed to seeing Rutenka playing as the middle back when Karabatic is in the game.

Thun had their Champions League home debut against Metalurg from Macedonia. Lino Cervar's team are a tricky fixture for any European team, so Thun understandably had trouble organizing their attacks. Metalurg's aggressive defending applied pressure from the very beginning; Thun scored just nine goals at half-time. Metalurg controlled most of the match, and they had a 23-18 lead with five minutes left in the game. But some lazy attitude gave Thun a chance to draw the match in the final seconds. Unfortunately for their fans, they failed to score.

-Of course we are disappointed with the final result, but we have shown that we can play in the Champions League. I am satisfied with our defending, but we missed too many clear chances, and their goalie Darko Stanic had a great game - said coach Rubin after the match.

A few years ago, nobody in Thun even dreamed of ever playing at Blaugrana. Matches like these are the biggest reward for their incredible rise in the last few years, which culminated last season, when Thun dethroned Kadetten. Taking into account the difference in quality, it is very unlikely that Thun are going to take anything from this match, so Rubin's players can relax and enjoy the game.


If start of the season is any indication, Thun is unlikely to repeat last season's domestic success. They have suffered two heavy defeats at the hands of Kadetten in a very short time period. After the Supercup defeat (21-27), they were defeated once again in the league. This time, Kadetten were even more merciless. The 31-19 result (14-6 after 25 minutes) indicates where Kadetten's ambitions lay this season.
   
Thun players are not used to playing in this rhythm and the cause of this heavy defeat should be looked in the Metalurg match which tired them out just a few days before. A few things went wrong in that match. Rubin was without his playmaker Roman Caspar (shoulder injury), who is going to be absent once again. Also, the players were late for the match because of a big car accident along the way. The start of the match was delayed by 25 minutes.

-The Schaffhausen fixture was scheduled between two Champions League matches. My players were probably already thinking about Barcelona - said Rubin after the defeat and commented on Caspar's health:

- Caspar dislocated his shoulder in the training session prior to the match. He won't play in Barcelona.

This is the third serious challenge for Thun this week. A blowout at the hands of Europe's best team seems imminent. The defeat on Wednesday isn't reassuring anyone. Barcelona look unbeatable, their domestic league matches have all been very one-sided. Ademar was ten goals behind at half-time, and Thun aren't going to have it any easier. Especially because Barcelona are extremely motivated to bounce back with a win after the draw in Skopje last week. 

Barcelona fumbled in Skopje last week, and can be expected to play their very best from the first moment. They returned to the victorious path over the week with a decisive win over Ademar, who were given no chance at all. The halftime already saw +10 for Barca, so the Catalan team shifted to a lower gear and still managed to increase the lead. So far in the season they mostly entered the game furiously, allowing their opponents to catch their breath a bit in the second half, primarily on the offense. The amazing width of Pascual's roster however allows him to keep up the tempo throughout all 60 minutes, and today should not be an exception. I was in a dilemma between the full time and halftime handicap. Both bets have their advantages, as there is a danger of Barcelona easing off in the second half and Thun managing to cover the margin. On the other hand, this will be the third tough game the Swiss team will be playing in just a week, they are not used to such a difficult schedule and that might cost them in the end-game. Barcelona are a grinding machine, they catch their opponents in the grinder and destroy them with counterattacks. That fatigue that must be present is precisely the reason why I chose the full time handicap. The margin is pretty high, but Barcelona managed to win two +20 wins in the league as well, with Ademar buried at -14 this week, and regardless of all the issues in the club lately, I think they are still above Thun. The Swiss champion will be deprived of their play-maker Roman Caspar here, causing them more problems. An extra bonus for the bet is the single point Barcelona managed to bring from Skopje a week ago, and all things considered, I believe the Catalans will win with a +15 goals lead.