Barcelona all but wrapped up La Liga with a 1-1 draw against
Real Madrid as two rivals drew in the first of four games they will play in
just over two weeks, ending their best sequence of results against the
nine-time European champions.
And here we are for the second of those games, and arguably
the first one that really count, as the winner tonight will take the Copa Del
Rey Trophy.
Barcelona could be seen by many as moral winners in that
game, with a rather dubious late penalty for Christiano Ronaldo earning a late
draw for the then hosts who did have quite a few strong chances.
Barcelona has plenty of possession, for all that they were
given the ball by Real early on - at one point in the first half, Barcelona had
81% possession – Although they weren’t completely dominant and did nearly lose
out early on.
Madrid are the second highest scorers in La Liga but many,
notably legend Alferdo Di Stefano, weren’t exactly enthused about their approach
to the game.
Mourinho's side sat back at the Bernabeu on Saturday in the
hope of stealing a goal on the break, frustrating Barca enough to prevent his
opposite number Pep Guardiola making it six wins from six games against Real.
Benching promising playmaker Mesut Ozil, Mourinho started
centerback Pepe in midfield. Paired with
Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira—two physically imposing players—Mourinho managed
to turn a squad full of gifted attacking players into a parked airbus and much
of the game will rest on whether Mourinho does the same tonight.
Barcelona have scored 9 goals in the last 5 Clasicos (8 of
them to nil) and have a far superior Copa Del Rey record. In four cup final
meetings against their eternal rivals, Barcelona have won three.
Since last winning
the trophy in 1993, the Bernabeu side have made the final only twice, losing
out in 2002 and 2004 to Deportivo La Coruna (2-1) and Real Zaragoza (3-2 aet)
respectively.
Bookmakers take this very view, laying 10/11 about Barcelona
in 90 minutes which does seem on the short side given how close the game was in
the Bernabeu and you’d be hard pushed to put anyone off 3/1 Real Madrid on that
basis.
However, there may be more mileage in going for a tight
game. There’s generally 10/11 about under 2.5 and also 13/10 about the draw at
Half Time if you’re so inclined.
Even with their “disappointment” on Saturday I’m keen to get
with Barcelona again here. They didn’t deserve to lose their lead late on
Saturday and they can lift the first trophy of the Spanish season here. This
game really could go the extra mile however, and maybe it’s best to spread the
options around, so back Barcelona to win in extra time, the game to be won in
extra time, and the first goal to come after 23 minutes, which is a generous offer
from Paddy Power.
Advice
2 pts Barcelona to beat Real Madrid (10/11 Stan James)
2 pts First goal after 23 minutes (10/11 Paddy Power)
1 pt Barcelona to win in Extra time (10/1 Bet365)
1 pt Tie to be won in extra time (19/4 Sportingbet)
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