Real Madrid and Barcelona lock horns at the Santiago Bernabeu in a mid-week Copa del Rey fixture with a lot hanging in the balance for both teams. The two played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semi-final at the Camp Nou. A repeat of this fixture would be played within 72 hours but for a different piece of silverware, the La Liga Santander.
The two teams have had a very patch-phase in the build-up to this encounter; this can largely be blamed on the jam-packed fixture list. Both the Spanish giants are alive in all the competitions they have participated in, and that might take a toll on them this week.
Barcelona drew in their Champions League fixture away at Olympique Lyonnais followed by a 4-2 win in Seville. However, the win was majorly due to a super-hero saviour performance from the magical Lionel Messi. The Argentine attacker nabbed his 50th career hat trick along with an assist and single-handedly pulled his side beyond the line.
On the contrary, Real Madrid won in their Champions League fixture against Ajax Amsterdam which was indeed controversial due to VAR calls. Following which they made the trip to Valencia where they beat Levante 1-2 courtesy to two penalties. VAR was again in the limelight when an incredibly soft penalty was awarded to Los Blancos just before the half-time whistle.
Barcelona played their La Liga fixture a day prior to Real Madrid which means the Whites have got 30 hours less to prepare for this game.
On the injury front, Real are most likely to head into the fixture without Isco Alarcon and Maros Llorente. On the other hand, Barcelona would be without Rafinha and Vermaelen. Arthur and Cillisen returned to training but is highly unlikely to be a part of proceedings at the Santiago Bernabeu.
What To Expect
There is no rivalry as dreaded as the El Clasico, given that this fixture will be nothing short of mesmerising. There can be no better match-up than the El Clasico, where arguably two of the best squads in the world try to outplay one another. It is undoubtedly going to be a battle of two giants, two star-studded line-ups who have so much more history to one another than just football.
The world comes to a standstill as millions of viewers glue themselves to the Television set when Real Madrid & Barcelona play each other.
The Second Leg
The first leg of this semi-final fixture ended in a 1-1 draw, with Real Madrid having a slight advantage heading into the second leg courtesy to an away goal from Lucas Vasquez. The draw in the first leg has left the fixture wide open, and both the teams have everything to play for here. The winner of this fixture is most likely to go on and lift the much coveted Copa del Rey trophy.
However, let us not rule out the possibility of surprises. The fact that the two teams were level pegged in the first leg could mean that the second leg throws up a few surprises. The team which surprises the other more often would be the one in a commanding position for advancing in this fixture. Real Madrid and Barcelona know each other better than anyone else, which means they are also well versed with each other’s pros and cons. The draw has thus left the second leg open to an extreme level of competition.
Lionel Messi Up Against Casemiro
Real Madrid would be hugely reliant on Casemiro to keep the Argentine at bay. The pivot in Madrid’s side, Casemiro has been instrumental in the clubs recent European success. The Brazilian needs to be right on top of his game on the evening of 27th February to keep the quick feet of Messi under control.
The Vikings are well aware of the threat that the magisterial Lionel Messi poses every time he takes to the field at the Santiago Bernabeu. The duo of Sergio Ramos and Casemiro need to be on their feet at all times, and they can not afford to be caught flat-footed. The less spoken about the alien-like powers of Lionel Messi, the better.
