Barcelona vs. Real Madrid [Copa del Rey; Semi Final; 2/26/13] 3:00 PM EST

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Copa Del Rey

Return Leg

Semi Final

2/26/13

3:00 PM EST

Venue: Camp Nou

First Leg: 1-1

Cristiano with fans at the Riazor

Used to be an entertaining fixture, but now we play Barcelona 64647 times a year making it one the fixtures were you know what to expect.

Good thread.

not Undiano Mallenco
we won't finish the match with 11 man if he is the ref.

edit: 9 man, since he finish matches with 10 man.

But they never talk about referees, they talk on the field, don't they? I have no problem with these games, but Barcelona is an incredibly hypocritical institution.

I noticed this too, he will fall into the trap.. a sending off will happen i'm sure probably a dodgy penalty call somewhere too.

We need to go all out in this game, hold nothing back. The beautiful thing about the result vs. Milan is that now both teams will be resting on Saturday, and we have shown that we can get a result against them regardless of how far down the squad we have to go to fill out the starting 11. I'm not in favor of resting stars for Classico because you don't want to go out there and just give them a win, but knowing they will as well, I don't mind giving the likes of Xabi, Ozil, and Arbs a rest on Saturday.

Barcelona thinks we play soo rough that they compared us to hyenas, but it is NOT our fault that we are playing with underprivileged midgets who are in dire need of steroids in order to feel like men. The pressure they are spilling unto the referee will amount to bad calls against our team as usual.

Barcelona don't play Milan the same week as we play MU.

Barca don't have a CL game next week....

And we don't need to rest anyone unless they are injured or suspended and we damn sure don't need to be thinking about Saturday. Let's just make sure we do the damn thing tomorrow first imo.

Mou's presser

http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satell...rward_to_playing_these_three_big_matches_.htm

Talking about his team’s recent results at the Camp Nou, he said: "It is an isolated match and has nothing to do with the previous matches in the Camp Nou. It isn’t related at all and the last time we played there was months ago. We have to play our best and get the best possible result".

When asked if it is the best time to play against Barcelona, he was blunt: "It is the same as playing it any at other time. It doesn’t matter when a match against an opponent of this size comes around. We have played in the summer, in the last few months of the season and in the middle of the season. There is no one moment that is best to play a match between great teams, the best teams. When the matches are played doesn’t mean anything".

Mourinho also spoke about Xabi Alonso and Benzema’s condition and the starting line-up for the Camp Nou: "Xabi Alonso is ready to play and Benzema also trained with the team yesterday and today and is also physically able to play. I do not know the starting eleven yet. It is not that I don’t want to tell anyone, it is that I still have to think about it. Normally I know but I don’t say anything, but today that is not the case". When asked if they will play without a centre forward, he was clear:" I have not thought about it".

With reference to Barcelona’s assistant coach, Roura’s, comments to the press, in which he said that Undiano Mallenco, the match referee, let too much go in the cup final between the teams at Mestalla two seasons ago, he said: "I’d rather stick to the sporting lessons that we have received from Barcelona in the past, to not talk about referees or pressure them, to not look for cards or simulate bookings for our opponents and obviously to play football, which they do very well. We want to continue respectfully in that way".

When asked whether he would take being knocked out of the cup if it meant going through in the Champions League, he said: "That doesn’t exist in football. We have to play both matches and can’t make deals like that". When asked if the cup could rescue the team’s season, he said: "We’ll talk at the end of season". Concerning the list published by the press of candidates to take his place on the bench at Real Madrid, Mourinho said: "It doesn’t bother me".

Lol, I have missed José Trollinho Laying the smackdown on Barca. Let's do this!

Damn, completely forgot.

Karim's night tomorrow. We got this

According to reports, Higuain will be starting.

The team has been psychologically weak this season, I hope this stretch of El Classicos and games against United do not drain us out completely.

Funny how a season works, within just over a weak we could either end up having a really shit season or one which we could be in contention for a double...let's hope for the best.

The CdR is the least important for me. If we are knocked out from the CdR but progress in the CL, that will be ok for me.

Huh?

This team hasn't really been psychologically weak this season especially in big games. When they've had to sack up for the most part they have which makes their petulance and stubborness in their approach to other games even more maddening.

Iran Irak...

Iran and Iraq are two very different countries. Take a break from FOX news, please.

I'd start Benzema and Kaka.

People also pronounce them "eye-raq" and "eye-ran"

When it's actually "ee-raq" and "ee-ran"

Not sure why I jumped on that,, been living in the states too long, it bothers me

I would start Karim over Pipita, even a overweight Karim is better than Pipta.

Do the two yellows Di Maria got on Saturday carry over to this game? Or is he available?