Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg pits wounded Barcelona against Real Madrid, who are looking for a Clasico victory to make coach Xavi Hernandez’s gamble pay off at a crucial point in the season....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Even though Pedri and Ousmane Dembele were out with injuries, Xavi rested other important players in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Almeria. He put the Clasico cup game ahead of the league game and missed the chance to extend their lead over Madrid to 10 points.
Top scorer Robert Lewandowski has been diagnosed with a hamstring strain and will not play in the Clasico, adding to Barca’s anxiety before the game. However, Ansu Fati is expected to play.
After losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League, Barcelona suffered their second consecutive defeat, Xavi describing it as the “worst performance of the season” at Almeria.
The team’s seven-point lead in La Liga is strong but not insurmountable, so a third defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu could send them spiraling out of control.
A day after Osasuna hosts Athletic Bilbao in the other Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, the Catalans play at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After El Bilal Toure’s goal gave them only their second defeat of the season in the Liga, Xavi warned, “We have to change our mindset if we want to win the league and the cup.”
We have no excuse because we did not exhibit the desire to play or intensity, which is the most concerning factor for me.
“You can slip up, but you need to show passion and desire, and we lacked that in the first half.”
The coach’s decision to rest Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Raphinha, and Alejandro Balde against Almeria will be questioned once more if the team does not achieve a favorable outcome in the capital.
– Immediate results: Xavi has stated that it would still be considered a successful season if his team won the Spanish Super Cup but not the Copa del Rey.
However, if they lose this doubleheader against their archrivals, further doubts about the project will emerge, fueling Xavi’s critics after he spent a lot of money last summer.
Barcelona brought in a number of players, including Kounde and Raphinha as well as Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. The money they spent and the financial maneuvering they did to get the transfers through require immediate results.
Real Madrid’s disappointing derby draw with Atletico Madrid on Saturday was improved by Barcelona’s stumble.
After crushing Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield, Carlo Ancelotti’s team is in the Champions League quarterfinals and can focus on getting back at them for their defeat in the Spanish Super Cup.
In January, Barcelona won the first trophy of the Xavi era in Saudi Arabia with a convincing 3-1 victory.
However, the Copa del Rey is a different story. On that day, the Catalans appeared to be far more up for the fight than Madrid, who were determined to end their trophy drought.
The last time Madrid won the trophy was in the 2014 final at Mestalla, when Gareth Bale scored a magnificent solo goal in a 3-1 victory over Barcelona.
Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, and David Alaba are all out with injuries for Los Blancos.
Following Madrid’s derby draw, Carlo Ancelotti stated, “Now the Cup is the most important thing because it is the next game and we are very close to a title.”
“We are just 270 minutes away from winning the title.”
