In terms of sports, Very few nights will be as hyped as an El Clasico, and as the match is approaching, the excitement is reaching the roof. There is no bigger game in football than the clash between Barca and Real Madrid. The stage is the Copa del Rey semi-final and will be a story of redemption on 2nd March.
In the most recent encounter, Barca was the winning team, defeating Real Madrid with a scoreline of 3-1. Goals from Gavi, Lewandowski, and Pedri cemented the victory in the league clash. But this time, Barca will miss some of their key players and Madrid can capitalize on that. Players like Lewandowski, Dembele, and Pedri are on the injured list and this time Barca has to create something magical.
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Both Spanish giants lost their forms in the league in recent weeks. But the level of confidence is different in the rival camps. As Real Madrid humiliated Liverpool, they will have the moral upper hand against their rivals who were defeated by Manchester United.
The recent form of Barcelona has been mixed as they lost against Manchester United and Almeria. Indeed they are low in confidence but will look to turn things around. And what better opponent to make a statement than Real Madrid?
Xavi in his recent interview said, “We are playing for a title, Madrid are still the favorites because they are the champions of La Liga and the Champions League. They are a very difficult opponent and they are in a good moment. Madrid are favorites. My argument is that Madrid have won the last few titles and we are in the process of building: we have won one title and against them, playing extraordinary football. But it’s Madrid, they are competing, they beat Liverpool and we have to be honest.”
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He also added, “They are a very tough opponent, they don’t dominate in many moments but they have those mini phases where they dominate you and in a transition, they get in your goal. They are a very difficult opponent on their home pitch.”
On the other hand, Real Madrid is doing wonders on the European stage and proving why they are the very best.
Carlo Ancelotti, in his recent interview, spoke about the clash along with what went wrong in last year’s competition. He said, “We are preparing for the match with confidence. We have to play a complete game offensively and defensively and we are looking forward to playing because these are the most beautiful duels. We are very close to reaching the final and there are many things to enjoy.”
This is a pivotal game for Barca after their exit from the UEL and Madrid will use this game to establish their dominance. In this battle between Xavi and Ancelotti, who will take the throne? Only time will tell. But you don’t have to wait for long.
Real Madrid’s predicted XI (4-3-3):
Courtois,Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho, Kroos, Modric, Tchouameni, Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
Barcelona’s predicted XI (4-3-3):
Ter Stegen, Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde, Busquets, Kessie, De Jong, Raphinha, Gavi, Torres
You can watch the match on the following channels
USA (Los Angeles 12.00pm, New York 3.00 pm)
ESPN+
Canada (Vancouver 12.00pm, Montreal 3.00 pm)
Spain (9.00pm) Movistar +
UK– Viaplay (8 pm)
Indian Subcontinent (Pakistan 1.00am, India 1.30 am, Bangladesh 2.00 am), 3rd March
For more updates on the streaming- fcbarcelona.com
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