Matchups for the semifinals have been announced - Real Madrid at the Bernabeu vs. Sevilla on Feb 4, then in Andalucia on Feb 11. Zaragoza vs Alaves in the other semi. Sevilla is probably the strongest of the three other teams left in the cup, but they've lost Reyes now so perhaps not as difficult as they would have been. I'm sure a lot of the talk in the media will be about the 4-1 victory that Sevilla had earlier this season, but as that was against a makeshift defense, and Reyes was a big part of it, I don't think it's relevant. A Cibeles!
Make shift defense? I remember that Ronaldo, Zidane, Castillas, Raul, Beckham, and Figo all played that game. The only two missing were Roberto Carlos for injury and Salgado for red card the game before. So, after all the talent on the field, Real Madrid is only as good as their two defenders? Hmmmm..... My what a selective memory one has of such defeats!!!!!!
Sevilla will probably be much easier to deal with now that they've sold their most dangerous player. Again it's too bad the 2nd leg is away, but it didn't turn out so badly against Valencia, so hopefully it won't matter much this time either. Florentino has said that he would like to win la Copa del Rey this season, and what he wants he gets.
I have a little hope to play against Barcelona in semifinals, i though that wasting this year again more money to buy players than Real Madrid, at least they will play the semifinals but,..... what a surprise!!, they lost!!! very unusual...... and they are the center of all the jokes, a very very frequent thing in the last years. They people is very unjust with them, they only try to make happy the supporters ........ of the rivals teams, they are really good in that. I can't speak bad things about Barcelona, because i must be been thankful for that. Well speaking about the semifinal. We haven't luck with the draws - first Valencia the most difficult, and now Sevilla the most difficult - And the two times, the 2nd game away. But it can be a great chance "to revenge" our lost by 4-1 in la liga this year. Sevilla manager will reserved his best players to play against Real Madrid. Darío Silva, Torrado and Redondo won't play against Depor this weekend to be rested to play against RM the next week. The main beneficiary will be Deportivo that will have theoretically a much more easy game this weekend. I think that Sevilla manager is playing with fire, Sevilla isn't too good in la liga to give advantages to its rivals. Anyway, the player are very motivated to win the la copa these year. It is a throphy that hasn't won almost any player of the team. Even the "most veterans" like Raul or Roberto Carlos hasn't won it. They are very near this year, and i think that they are going to fight hard to win. If we haven't any injury this weekend, we will have all the players to play against against Sevilla. But you never know, we have played great with the subs in the last games.
Good. Hopefully they throw everything at them in the Bernabeu so the second leg is just making up the numbers. Otherwise, that leg will be a grind, one of the first do-or-die games in the season.
Real Madrid - Sevilla 2-0 Goals by Solari and Raul (Ronaldo was sick) Could be troublesome in the away game
the best thing is the shutout - as now just one Madrid goal in the away game means that Sevilla would have to score 4. the worst - the injury to Figo. Hopefully it's not a long term injury. I was a little surprised that he didn't give Juanfran a chance when he plays Figo's position. Am I wrong or was Pavon not even on the bench.