2 Updates

Barcelona and Madrid roll up sleeves for Copa del Rey clash

Feb 25 2013, 6:24am CST | by

Barcelona, Feb 25 (IANS) Barcelona take on Real Madrid in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final this Tuesday night in the Camp Nou Stadium in what promises to be 90 minutes filled with tension.

Barcelona, Feb 25 — Barcelona take on Real Madrid in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final this Tuesday night in the Camp Nou Stadium in what promises to be 90 minutes filled with tension....

Filed under: news

Full Story below YouTube Videos

 
 

Update
2


Quote:
"There are some very interesting players out there – like Malaga star Isco ... He's a class act in midfield."


Source: Guardian Unlimited

 
 

16 weeks ago

Barcelona and Madrid roll up sleeves for Copa del Rey clash

Feb 25 2013, 6:24am CST | by

Barcelona, Feb 25 (IANS) Barcelona take on Real Madrid in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final this Tuesday night in the Camp Nou Stadium in what promises to be 90 minutes filled with tension.

Barcelona, Feb 25 — Barcelona take on Real Madrid in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final this Tuesday night in the Camp Nou Stadium in what promises to be 90 minutes filled with tension.

The first leg in the Santiago Bernabeu saw Barcelona create more chances than Madrid, but fail to take them, before a Rafael Varene header gave Jose Mourinho's side a valuable draw.

With Barcelona leading Madrid by 15 points in the BBVA Primera Liga table, Real Madrid' s season hangs on the next seven days. A win in the Camp Nou followed by another in Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium the following Tuesday, would make Madrid favourites for the Cup and the Champions League, but defeat to Barca and failure to overcome Manchester United would mean the club's season ending in abject failure and possibly precipitate Mourinho's departure as coach.

Both teams reserved key players at the weekend and it was reflected in their performances, although Lionel Messi wasn't rested for Barca' s 2-1 win at home to Sevilla. The striker insisted in an interview on Barca TV Sunday that he felt better when he didn't have to rest.

"I've been used to playing a lot of games for a long time now," said the striker, who warned that Madrid would present a severe test to a Barca side that needs to improve in defence, given that they have conceded goals in their last 11 games.

Indeed if Tuesday's game were to finish with the same 2-2 final score as their La Liga game in the Camp Nou this season, Real Madrid would qualify on away goals, so Jordi Roura, who is still covering while Tito Vilanova receives treatment for cancer, will be at pains to ensure his side are not caught on the break by Real Madrid's lightening counter-attack.

Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique will play in central defence, while Jordi Alba and Dani Alves play at full backs and Sergio Busquets provides cover behind Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.

The big question is whether or not David Villa's goal against Sevilla will earn him a place in attack alongside Messi and Pedro Rodriguez.

Madrid also have selection worries with Varene, who impressed in the first leg, missing out at the weekend with a muscle injury, while Xabi Alonso is still struggling with a groin strain. There is also debate over who should lead the Madrid line as both Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema have been out of form.

Higuain did his cause no harm with his side's winning goal in La Coruna, although Mourinho could prefer Benzema's greater quality on the ball and ability to give a defence splitting pass, while Kaka's performances over the past week could also earn him a surprise call-up.

Recent games between Barca and Madrid have seen the tension that existed between the two sides calm down, but given how much is at stake Tuesday, referee Undiano Mallenco could be in for a busy night.

IANS

Source: IANS

 

Don't miss ...

 

<a href="/latest_stories/all/all/8" rel="author">Luigi Lugmayr</a>
Luigi is the founding Chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into vibrant technology magazine.
Luigi can be contacted directly at ml@i4u.com. Luigi posts regularly on LuigiMe.com about his experience running I4U.

 

blog comments powered by Disqus

Latest stories

Champions Tropny semifinals: England put South Africa in to bat
Champions Tropny semifinals: England put South Africa in to bat
London, June 19 (IANS) England opted to field against South Africa in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy at the Kennington Oval here Wednesday.
 
 
Injury forces Venus out of Wimbledon
Injury forces Venus out of Wimbledon
London, June 19 (IANS) Five-time champion Venus Williams announced that she has withdrawn from Wimbledon due to injury.
 
 
Li Na enters second round at Eastbourne
Li Na enters second round at Eastbourne
Eastbourne (England), June 19 (IANS) Second seed Li Na of China defeated French woman Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-4 to reach the second round of the Aegon International here.
 
 
Napoli in bid for Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael
Napoli in bid for Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael
Rio de Janeiro, June 19 (IANS) Napoli are preparing a move to sign Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael during the European summer transfer window.
 
 
 

Latest from the Network

Katy Perry: Russell Brand Shared Divorce Plans With Text Message
Katy hasn’t heard from her ex-husband Russell Brand since he texted her saying he wanted a divorce in late December 2011. Nearly one year after their divorce, Katy Perry is opening up in the July 2013 issue of Vogue,...
Read more on TV Balla
 
"Anchorman 2" Trailer Released
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Paramount has released its first trailer to Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Unlike the previous two teasers, the snippet gives a bigger peek of the movie's plot, when Will...
Read more on TV Balla
 
Universal, Red Granite Pick Up "Dumb and Dumber" Sequel
Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The Dumb and Dumber sequel has found a new home. Warner Bros., the parent company of the original film's studio New Line, cut ties with the project recently, but it's been picked up by...
Read more on TV Balla
 
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Video Pays Tribute to Channing Tatum's Sexiness
Stuart Wilson/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- During Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s "Game Night" primetime special on Tuesday, Kimmel unveiled the video for "(I Wanna) Channing All Over Your Tatums," the sexually charged but...
Read more on TV Balla
 
"The Voice" Gets Ratings Boost for Final Performance Show
Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Ratings for The Voice are on the rise for its finale week. The final performance show of the season for the NBC competition pulled in an estimated 12.3 million viewers on Monday night,...
Read more on TV Balla
 
Selma Blair Gone from "Anger Management"
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- It seems Charlie Sheen's reported feud with Selma Blair on the set of Anger Management has cost her her job. Lionsgate, which produces the FX sitcom, announced on Tuesday...
Read more on TV Balla
 
Mandela spends 12th day in hospital
Pretoria, June 19 — Anti-apartheid icon and South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela Wednesday spent his 12th day in hospital -- with no official update about his condition. Mandela is receiving treatment at...
Read more on Politics Balla
 
Radioactive element found in groundwater near Japan n-plant
Tokyo, June 19 — High levels of a toxic radioactive isotope have been found in groundwater near the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, the plant operator said Wednesday. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (...
Read more on Politics Balla
 
Kim Kardashian: Motherhood Is 'So Crazy!'
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Kim Kardashian has been silent since she gave birth to her baby daughter last weekend.  Ryan Seacrest, an executive producer of her E! reality series, did, however, provide a...
Read more on TV Balla
 
Johnny Depp Admits He Thinks of Retiring 'Every Day'
ABC/RICHARD CARTWRIGHT(LOS ANGELES) -- Johnny Depp has been hot in Hollywood for years, nabbing blockbuster films like Pirates of the Carribean, Alice in Wonderland and now Lone Ranger, out July 3.  Still, the 50-year-...
Read more on TV Balla
 
 
Auto Balla Sexy Balla Sport Balla TV Balla Politics Balla Movie Balla Apple Balla Business Balla Ad Balla Celebrity Balla