With Real Madrid out of the equation, it seems like Barcelona's chances of winning their 27th Copa del Rey will substancially increase if they win tomorrow. But before they can plan their semi-final match or their trophy celebration, these are some facts that support the theory of Los Blaugranas reaching the next stage and eventually winning the tournament.
In the current Copa del Rey, Barcelona is the only team that has won every match they have played. Luis Enrique's team has kept a clean sheet in four of those games, only conceding a goal against Huesca. On the other hand, Barcelona's strikers are the most effective in this tournament's edition, scoring 22 goals. Adding to their inmaculate record this season, Barcelona has played fourteen games in this competition during the past three years. Their latest defeat came last year against Real Madrid, losing with a 2-1 final result.
Historically, the team has reached the Final match of the Copa del Rey 37 times, the most by any team. Winning 26 and losing 11 of those, of every team left in this tournament, only Atletico and Athletic Bilbao have been capable of winning a final match against them.
Finally, Atletico Madrid's matches against Barcelona took a turn for the best in the recently ended year, but this time around, Barcelona are preparing their third victory over Simeone's side in 17 days. If Brazilian striker Neymar scores against the Argentinian's crew, he will become the first Blaugrana ever to score against the red-and-white outfit in four different competitions (La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Champions League). The striker has scored a goal every 88 minutes this season, a much higher average than last year's 195 minutes per goal scored. If Atletico needed one more stat to make them dubious about their chances, Los Blaugranas have scored 14 goals in their three most recent away games, keeping a clean sheet in all of them.
It's a well-known fact that stats don't play, but surely history and the contenders' current performances have Barcelona as a clear favorite to win a semi-finalist spot.
