Estadio Santiago Bernabeu forms the backdrop for the 252nd El Clasico as Real Madrid and Barcelona go head-to-head in the first leg of their mouth-watering Copa del Rey semi-final tie.
Real Madrid came from behind to secure a 3-1 extra-time win over eternal rivals Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals and extend their Copa del Rey title defense. But to make it out to the grand final, ‘Los Blancos’ must avenge a woeful 3-1 H2H loss in January’s Supercopa de Espana showpiece. Carlo Ancelotti’s men seem in a prime position to make that happen after stitching together a six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W5, D1), including a 5-3 demolition of Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup final and a 5-2 Champions League thumping of Liverpool. Left to rue missed opportunities in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Atletico, Madrid could only reduce the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to seven points, yet there’s plenty to look forward to this week.
Indeed, visiting Barcelona failed to recover from a heartbreaking Europa League exit at the hands of Manchester United last week, slumping to a first-ever defeat at Almeria in the lead-up to this fixture. Robert Lewandowski picking up a muscle injury against sub-par opposition added insult to injury, casting further doubt on Barca’s bid to emulate last season’s rampant 4-0 triumph in the capital. Still on a journey to conquer the Copa del Rey title for the first time since 2020/21, the ‘Blaugrana’ can draw some inspiration from having won eight consecutive road trips to meet domestic rivals in all competitions before losing at Almeria. Adding to Barcelona’s confidence, they’ve lost none of their last five Copa del Rey H2Hs in the capital (W2, D3).
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