Barcelona Face a Tough Copa del Rey Challenge at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid vs Barcelona

No matter when or where it happens, almost the entire Spanish footballing world stops to witness the exciting spectacle that is El Clasico.

The big derby between two of the world’s football giants regularly features some of the world’s best battling it, giving the rest of the world some of the most unforgettable moments in the sport. This time around, they will be fighting for the right to stay in the Copa del Rey.

The first leg of their semi-final battle ended in a steely draw at the fabled Camp Nou. Their do-or-die game will be at another storied venue in the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid have the advantage coming in, and they have the players to help them secure a narrow win.

But there’s nothing worse to do than writing off the Blaugrana even before a minute of football has been played.

Talking Points

Confident Madrid can finish the job here

No matter what the situation Los Blancos find themselves in the table, they will always be the ever-confident football club that has plagued La Liga for years. The sheer quality of players they have is enough to convince some SBOBET tips to favour the Madrid giants.

The fact that their current season is a disappointment despite being comfortable at third is a testament to just how good the men donning the Madrid shirt are. While some of their wins fall short of the usual Madrid standards, they are still a good football team that is worthy of respect.

Moreover, they are a tough team to take down in the Copa. Save their odd January loss to Leganes and their most recent match, almost all of their cup games were won by at least two goals. They may be out of league contention, but the cup is definitely one that they can take by force come the end of the season.

They have the manpower to pull it off as well. Gareth Bale may be inconsistent, but he is one of the team’s leading scorers. Karim Benzema is relishing the opportunity to lead the side’s attack after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. Luka Modric is still one of the best midfielders in the world. Santiago Solari has two great goalkeepers to choose from in Keylor Navas and Thibaut Courtois.

They will not make things easy for Barcelona, and they will make sure that they make Lionel Messi’s life on the pitch a living hell so that they also have an advantage when they face each other again on the weekend.

Barca’s trials begin here

A quick check to Barcelona’s fixture list reveals that they will play at the Santiago Bernabeu twice in this week alone. They know that Clasicos at the Bernabeu are never easy, and they are probably steeling themselves for another tough week.

Ernesto Valverde are aiming to get a win as they look to extend their Copa Del Rey dominance to 5 years — Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde during a press conference

Barcelona are setting up shop at the top of the La Liga table, and their latest league victory against Sevilla provides enough evidence as to why they are at the top. Messi is simply too sensational of a footballer to be even stopped by the rest of the league, and his team is made up of some of the world’s best to ever pick up the sport.

However, their Copa del Rey 2019 results show us a different side to Barca. They have lost two of their last cup games away from Camp Nou. One was against considerably weaker opposition against Levante, while the other saw them being shut out by Sevilla in a 2-0 away loss.

While their ability to bounce back is more than impressive (as shown by the one-sided stomp they gave Sevilla in the return leg), the fact still remains that Ernesto Valverde’s lads struggle to win football games away from home.

As much as Messi is a terrific player on the pitch, he still needs all the help he can get. Luis Suarez must find his shooting boots again and begin scoring goals in this all-important derby. Philippe Coutinho will likely be given another chance at the left wing and must make the most of his opportunities. Gerard Pique and the rest of the Barca backline must also stand firm against Real’s piercing attacks.

Valverde’s men will be in for quite a test.

History

Their last match in the Copa was a 1-1 draw that saw Lucas Vazquez and Malcom take the honours. It cannot be denied that the Blaugrana didn’t play their talisman until the 63rd minute, but the fact that they struggled without their key man is a worrying fact for the fans who will make the trip west.

The two clubs are established in the Spanish top flight and have met each other regularly for games. In fact, Real Madrid have played their Catalan rivals 69 times since 1994. Thirty of those games went Barca’s way, 20 were Madrid victories, and the remaining 19 were draws.

Betting Tip

	Real Madrid vs Barcelona	Over 1.25 Goals First Half Over under @ 1.94
	February 28, 04:00 (GMT+8)

These two are hungry for points, and I have no doubt that both Solari and Valverde will field their best possible teams for this grand battle. Real Madrid will always be the confident boys of the capital, and there’s nothing more Barcelona FC would love to do than spoil their day.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona predictions are understandably hazy, but Barcelona’s second-leg performances in the cup as of late understandably give them the slight edge over Los Blancos. Personally, I see this heading towards extra time; I would be over the moon if it ends in penalties.

If there’s one thing worth betting money on, it’s that both sides will be able to score in the first half. Given just how talented the two sets of attackers are, it’s practically impossible to not see the first half ending 1-1.

I think some good set play would end up with Benzema or Bale getting the first goal around the 30-minute mark. Messi would then do his magic and force Barcelona back in the conversation with an equaliser before half-time.