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Copa del Rey final: Five things Athletic Bilbao must do to beat Barcelona
1) Learn from their past mistakes
Athletic will be hoping to rebound from their devastating 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the final of the Europa League two weeks ago, by upsetting the Catalan giants in the final of the Copa del Rey. There's no question as to whether Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa will confront the game in a...
Barcelona vs Bilbao Copa del Rey final: A tribute to Pep Guardiola – Career recap
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“If there is something extra about this [Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Copa del Rey] final, it is the possibility of winning the title for our coach [Pep Guardiola], the possibility of him winning yet another title and leaving with his head held high.”
Cesc Fabregas was in a confident mood while declaring this statement at a press conference in mid-May. Barcelona have won several titles during the last four years in an unprecedented manner. If this season is considered as a disappointing one it is purely because the judgement of the public is based on comparisons with the Blaugrana’s achievements between the 2008/09 and 2010/2011 seasons.
Barcelona vs Valencia Preview
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Pep Guardiola’s creativity will be put to the test as his list of absentees has expanded. Sergio Busquets is a doubt due to a knee injury and Pedro could also start on the bench or remain sidelined.
There are absolutely no chances of playing for Ibrahim Afellay, Andreu Fontas, Andres Iniesta and David Villa. Seydou Keita is also out for good, as he is currently on duty with the Malian national team in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Valencia, the presences of Hedwiges Maduro and Sergio Canales have been ruled out, but Bruno could add his contribution to his team’s efforts at the Camp Nou. Players who are set to return to action after a rest during the weekend are Xavi Hernandez, Gerard Pique, Alexis Sanchez, Ever Banega and Jonas.
Valencia vs Barcelona Report
Lionel Messi nearly scored the opener on 16 minutes when he escaped a series of challenges to fire a shot, but his last effort was blocked. It was just a minute after that controversy again took its place in the game; an angry home crowd would have loved to see Pinto get sent off for handling the ball outside the box, but the referee kept his cards.A ping pong game didn’t lack of potential and excitement, but Valencia were the first to get favoured. With the help of Mathieu, an unmarked Jonas confidently put the hosts in front.
But the visitors never stopped trying to get back into the game. They were rewarded for their efforts before half-time, and Carles Puyol was the man to praise as he headed home from a corner to level the game.
Why Barcelona should fear potential 2012 Copa del Rey finalists Valencia
One of the major problems at Barca presently is that Pep Guardiola is facing severe squad setbacks. As if it wasn’t enough to lose David Villa to a long-term injury, the manager will have to deal with the absence of Pedro Rodgriguez, Andreu Fontas, Ibrahim Affelay and key man Andres Iniesta. As Barcelona’s injury list grows, it looks like their chances of ending the year successfully on the domestic front are decreasing. For now, let’s not talk about the Catalans’ situation in La Liga where they've lost 13 points in 10 matches away from home. In the Copa del Rey, Barcelona could find immense comfort; that is, if Valencia don’t put an end to their hunt.
“We are not getting the balance of last year,” Dani Alves admitted following his side’s disappointing goalless draw away to Villarreal last weekend. One of the many questions is whether Barca can overcome the away ground factor and punish Valencia for their poor passing game.
Valencia vs Barcelona Preview
Barcelona narrowly edged past Real Madrid in the quarter finals, using their 2-1 away victory to knock out their rivals 4-3 on aggregate. Conversely, Valencia enjoyed an easy qualification into the semis with a whopping 7-1 aggregate win over Levante.Coincidentally, neither Los Che nor Los Cules were able to grab triumphs at the weekend in La Liga. Valencia shared a point away to Racing Santander following a 2-2 draw, while Barca were restricted to a goalless draw against Villarreal.
Both sides sit comfortably in the Top 3 of La Liga, but their additional work in the Primera Division will have to be put on hold for the meantime. There seems to be some injury problems for Valencia coach Unai Emery, with Mehmet Topal and Ever Banega not likely to perform.
Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry takes its toll in 2011/12 La Liga race: No more rest for the Catalans
A 100% record in La Liga was probably not FC Barcelona’s aim at the start of the season; but in view of Real Madrid’s solidification, they are advised to go for perfection.Yes, Barcelona have been trying to give their fans the very best. Surely, never did they allow themselves to get carried away by complaisance; but in contrast, their results in La Liga have not always been positive.
Failing to accomplish missions or dropping points are things that can happen from time to time. Yet, mistakes seem to get massive exposure when they come at an unexpected moment.
How will Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey exit to Barcelona shape La Liga’s title race?
This Copa del Rey quarterfinal fiasco has left Real Madrid with a lot of positives to take. The second leg of the tie, especially, has opened a way for Los Blancos to follow. Defender Alvaro Arbeloa couldn’t explain this better. He was quoted as stating by Real Madrid’s official website:
“We've managed to get rid of our psychological anxiety and fear to lose against Barcelona. It's hard to be strengthened after being eliminated, but we realize we can defeat them and we're looking forward to our next meeting.”
Indeed, it seems like Jose Mourinho and his men have found the key to unlock Barcelona’s secrets. You cannot look at the 2-2 draw in Camp Nou and talk about humiliation for Madrid.
Where to watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid on TV - Copa del Rey - January 25, 2012
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This article is for the January 18 ad January 25th Clasico Matches from the Copa Del Rey.
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What will happen at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night? Will Barcelona suffer an upset despite holding a vital 2-1 advantage ahead of the second leg? Will Real Madrid exit the Copa del Rey in the quarterfinals as most expect? Kick-off time for Barcelona vs Real Madrid is on Wednesday, January 25 at 16:00 EST and 21:00 GMT. Live streaming and TV schedule info for El Clasico can be found on the match page. Lionel Messi only came around the hour mark in the first leg of Barcelona’s match against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey, but he somehow managed to leave the field with a double that helped the Catalans triumph 6-1 on aggregate. He has long been a solid threat to Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, and up until now, the Ballon d’Or 2011 winner has bagged 13 goals in El Clasico. With his personal duel with the Spanish goalie not ready to cool down, one could expect Messi to hit the back of the net yet again tonight. 2) A goal for Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo might be a great attacker, but scoring against Barcelona is not something the winger does easily. In the 7 Clasicos that took place last year, Ronaldo only grabbed a single goal, but its importance was massive. Global eyes will once again be on the two spanish giants as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona clash once again in the Quarter-Finals of the 2011-12 Copa del Rey. The first of the two quarter-final legs takes place in Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 4:00PM (EST). FC Barcelona will be looking to redeem themselves after losing this competition to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final last year. They will also be looking to make a bold statement about their title aspirations since they find themselves 5 points behind Los Blancos in the La Liga championship. With the ensuing damages of the games creating a bigger barrier between the two Spanish titans, it could be a matter of retribution when Real Madrid and Barcelona face each other in the 2011 Supercopa. Before going further into the presented subject, let us take a brief look at the history of the championship – especially from the Blaugrana and Los Blancos’ prospects.Barcelona vs Real Madrid – Copa del Rey quarterfinal second leg: 5 things to predict
The latest Clasico produced a Cristiano Ronaldo goal, a comeback from Barcelona, a rare match winner from Eric Abidal and surprisingly, no red card. There actually should have been at least one sending off following Pepe’s stomp on Lionel Messi’s hand. However, controversy is most often the rule of the game when Barcelona and Real Madrid clash.El Clasico 2012: 10 things to expect from Madrid-Barca clash in the Copa del Rey
1) A goal for Lionel MessiReal Madrid-Barcelona tie highlights ESPN’s Copa del Rey quarterfinals coverage
El Clasico coverage on ESPN Deportes will start with pre-game discussions via Futbol Center (at 2:00pm EST) and Fuera de Juego (at 3:00pm EST). Martin Ainstein will be teaming up with Jorge Ramos and Tato Noriega to cover the action live from the Santiago Bernabeu. Ainstein will work with Fernando Palomo and Mario Kempes during the second leg to be played at the Camp Nou.
Analysis, commentary in Spanish and on-site reporting will also be available to followers of ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPN3.
Where to watch El Clasico 2012: Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Copa del Rey 2011-12 Quarter-Finals
Revised - Tuesday January 17, 2012 @ 23:39PM.
This match comes at a critical time when Real Madrid and Barca are underpeforming as was proven this weekend by unconvincing displays by both teams. Jose Mourinho was able to overturn his side's title threatening 1-0 deficit in Mallorca late in the game whereas Pep Guardiola's men fought hard to overcome a 2-2 score late in their game against Real Betis, which happened to be the only goals conceded at the Camp Nou in the current La Liga competition this season. The Cules were able to return to business as usual at the Camp Nou by winning 4-2 later on in the game.Osasuna vs Barcelona Report
Ballon d’Or 2011 winner Lionel Messi and nominee Xavi were excluded from the starting XI – while Puyol, Busquets and Fabregas also had a chance to rest their feet. The visitors’ only aim was to maintain their first leg advantage, and they did so in style.
It wasn’t until the 41st minute that spectators witnessed the first goal of the match - not for Barca though, but rather for the hosts. Dejan Lekic stroke the ball past Pinto after Raoul stole the ball from Sergi Roberto, giving Osasuna the possibility to get back into the game.
But things happened to turn back in the full favour of the Catalans early in the second half. Forward Alexis Sanchez nicely converted a low cross from Adriano to level the score line on 49 minutes.
Osasuna vs Barcelona Preview
In his pre-match press conference, Barca coach Pep Guardiola warned: “There are 90 minutes left and Osasuna have their virtues, which we already know about. It's our duty to think we still have work to do.”
The official club website also quoted him saying: “All grounds are complicated, and this one especially, for its size and the way they play. We know it will be cold, and we'll see how the pitch is.”
Barcelona will be without Iniesta, Maxwell and Alves. B team players Montoya, Cuenca and Sergi Roberto trained with 18 other first team players, and all three of them have been included in the squad.
Málaga vs Real Madrid Preview
Malaga aren’t doing badly at La Rosaleda this season. That’s where they staged a late comeback to draw 2-2 against Getafe en route to the Spanish Copa del Rey’s Round of 16.
But trace back Malaga’s home run in all competitions, and you’ll find an interesting fact. Manuel Pellegrini’s men haven’t lost any of their last five matches at La Rosaleda. Their most recent defeat at this venue dates from October 22; and it occurred in the hands of Jose Mourinho’s flying Blancos.
It was a thumping 4-0 defeat, which ended Malaga’s perfect home run. Prior to that, Los Boquerones enjoyed league wins against visitors Granada, Athletic Bilbao and Getafe.
Barcelona could meet Real Madrid in January 2012 after Osasuna in Copa del Rey
The Barcelona vs Osasuna fixture in the Copa del Rey, kicking off on 4 January 2012 at 4pm EST, will be played over two legs. The return leg takes place eight days after; that means only four days after the big Catalan derby in the Spanish La Liga: Espanyol vs Barcelona.
This is a game the defending league champions would not want to lose. With a draw against their rivals certainly not being part of their plans for this month, much effort will be needed to keep Barcelona in La Liga title race.
This goes without saying that they will have to snatch a huge advantage against Osasuna on Wednesday, just so they can have a chance to use minimal energy on January 12 at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra. Three days after their last Copa del Rey match in the Round of 16 this season, Barcelona face Real Betis.
Champions Real Madrid and favorites Barcelona to rock midweek Copa del Rey stage
Los Blancos posses a 2-0 advantage over Ponferradina ahead of tonight’s second leg. However, coach Jose Mourinho has urged Real Madrid to bury overconfidence.
A couple of years ago, Real Madrid got stunned by Alcorcon in the early stages of the Copa del Rey. The prospects of a giant-killing by Ponferradina perhaps exist as Mourinho seemed to suggest during Monday’s pre-match press conference.
“The result we earned in the first leg is good, but not definitive,” the outspoken Portuguese manager declared.
L'Hospitalet vs Barcelona Preview
Indeed, that early Copa del Rey fixture surely fell at a wrong time for the Catalans, who had 8 of their players called up by Spanish coach Del Bosque for the international friendlies session.
Whatever the giants decide to do on Wednesday, they will need to secure a positive end result, at least to keep things under control prior to the restart of La Liga on November 19. Barcelona drew their last game 2-2 to Athletic Bilbao at the weekend, but this unwanted score line has left them three points behind arch-rivals Real Madrid.
L’Hospitalet though are in a better position. With five wins out of five and only three goals conceded in around 450 minutes, there isn’t so much they could fear ahead of their special challenge at home. L’Hospitalet kicked off their 2011/12 Copa del Rey campaign with a 4-1 victory over Monacor, away from home.
SuperCopa 2011 Clasico – The most important match of the summer!
We last saw both giants clash against each other in a two-legged encounter in the 2011 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. As expected, the battle did not lack of thrill and was nothing less than stimulating, but it surely did not leave its mark in the prettiest manner.