Copa del Rey - Barcelona vs Real Madrid, El Clásico first leg, February 6, 2019

February 4, 2019 By Oscar Rojas

Topics: Copa del Rey, Barcelona, Real Madrid, TV Schedules, TV Listings, El Clásico

This will be the first Copa clash between the Spanish giants since 2014. Don't miss the first of three Clásicos in less than a month!

What has been Barcelona and Real Madrid's form ahead of this game?

Barcelona gets to this game having won four of their last six games. Los Blaugranas came from behind to draw against Valencia in their last outing, and their loss against Sevilla adds to those games they haven't been able to win in recent weeks.

On the other hand, Real Madrid enters this clash on a five-game winning streak in all competitions. Their most recent game ended in a 3-0 thumping against Alavés. Solari's men have not lost a game since their 1-0 defeat against Leganés in the second leg of their Copa del Rey matchup.

How did Barcelona and Real Madrid get to this stage of the Copa del Rey?

Barcelona, the team that has won four Copa del Rey titles in a row, enters the semi-final stage after beating Cultural Leonesa in the Round of 32. The Blaugrana side eliminated Levante with a 4-2 score in the next round. Then, Valverde's men came from behind after being beaten in the first leg of the Quarter finals by Sevilla. The aggregate of their QF clash against Los Hispalenses ended with a 6-3 score.

Real Madrid's road to the semis has not been as bumpy, since they eliminated Melilla in the Round of 32 with a 10-1 aggregate. Leganés became Los Blancos' next victim thanks to a 3-1 aggregate. Their previous Copa del Rey matchup concluded with a 7-3 aggregate in Real Madrid's favor against Girona.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid - Head-to-head

This will be the 34th Copa del Rey Clásico featuring Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Real Madrid has beaten Barcelona 12 times in Copa del Rey games.
Barcelona has defeated Real Madrid 14 times in Copa del Rey matches.
Seven Copa del Rey Clásicos have ended in a draw.
There has never been a goalless draw between Real Madrid and Barcelona in Copa del Rey games.
Real Madrid accomplished their biggest win against Barcelona in a 1942-43 Copa del Rey Clásico. That game ended with a whopping 11-1 score for Los Blancos.
Barcelona's biggest Copa win against Real Madrid saw Los Blaugranas beat Los Blancos with a 6-1 scoreline in the 1956-57 edition of the tournament.
The last semi-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid ended with a 4-2 aggregate in the 2012-13 season for Los Blancos.
The last Copa del Rey game between these clubs took place in the 2013-14 season. Real Madrid won that game -and the title- with a 2-1 score, thanks to Gareth Bale's impressive run against Marc Bartra.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid - Should Lionel Messi play?

The Argentine superstar limped off from Saturday's game against Valencia due to a muscular complaint. Given Los Blaugranas' tight schedule this month, forcing Messi to play does not seem like a good choice. Will Ernesto Valverde opt to leave "La Pulga" on the bench? Even if the return leg is set to be played on February 27, his presence -or absence- in this game could be crucial to determine the final outcome of this two-legged tie.