Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has sent a strong warning of boldness to Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid as the pressure surrounding the 2011 Copa del Rey final won’t affect his squad selections. Second choice goalkeeper Pinto has never played 90 minutes of football against Real Madrid but that could very well change on Wednesday night.
Pep Guardiola is known to use the Copa del Rey tournament as an opportunity for non-regulars to enjoy more playing time at the top level and the manager’s philosophy won’t change just because of Real Madrid’s status as giants. Barcelona’s official club website reported the 2009 Copa del Rey winner as saying:
“Tomorrow is about Pinto and ten more players. He has always played in the Copa del Rey, and he’ll continue to do so…
“It would be a lack of respect to him and to his team mates if he wasn’t to play [against Real Madrid on Wednesday].”
So Pinto will have the huge task of stopping the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Emmanuel Adebayor, Karim Benzema or Higuain. These are the forwards whom Jose Mourinho has chosen to represent Real Madrid at the Mestalla Stadium in the 2011 Copa del Rey final.
Guardiola’s decision to maintain Pinto’s Copa del Rey duties instead of putting number 1 goalie Victor Valdes against Iker Casillas is susceptible of provoking harsh criticism. For Pep, however, Wednesday’s Clasico is all about showing Barcelona’s true colors and enjoying the Copa del Rey final as “a gift” instead of treating it as a war.
“Real Madrid know who we are, so we might change some small details [following Saturday’s 1-1 draw in El Clasico]. But, the spirit of our game won’t change,” Pep said.
“We will try to be brave and daring because we want to go out there to win. Barcelona have qualities that Real Madrid don’t have.
“Likewise, Real Madrid have others that Barcelona don’t have. The team that imposes their game will win…
“But we will be doing what we can by playing football. It’s a gift to have reached the final [of the 2011 Copa del Rey,” Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola concluded.
How will Barcelona vs Real Madrid mark Pinto's career as a second-choice goalkeeper who has been given the huge task and opportunity to defeat Barca's greatest rivals in the Copa del Rey 2011 final? What does Pep Guardiola's decision to drop Valdes in the Cup as usual means? Should prolific goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of his Real Madrid team mate view this coaching choice as a blessing for Los Blancos?
Follow every bit of action of the Barcelona vs Real Madrid Copa del Rey 2011 final LIVE and online on Live Soccer TV! It's El Clasico's part 2 of the series.
