A Classic for a sweet first sip of the Cup

A Classic for a sweet first sip of the Cup

Real Madrid appeals to the Bernabéu to take advantage of the cup final against FC Barcelona with some doubts and casualties

MADRID, 1 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will open their Copa del Rey 2022-2023 semifinal this Thursday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (9:00 p.m./La1), a third Clásico of this season in which the madridistas seek revenge after what happened in the Spanish Super Cup and the azulgranas smile again after two disappointments and despite important casualties.

This first chapter to get a ticket to the final of La Cartuja on May 6 begins the small carousel of confrontations in just over a month between the two teams, who will face each other two more times, all of them with a lot at stake already that on March 19 they will have a clash with the scent of a decisive one in LaLiga Santander at the Spotify Camp Nou, the same setting for the cup tour at the beginning of April.

But first they will measure forces at the Bernabéu where they will seek to gain an advantage in a KO tournament that has become a priority for both at this time of the season. The Cup semifinals do not give a title, but they do rule out one in the race to get a trophy, something very necessary for meringues and culés for different reasons.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have already lost the Spanish Super Cup to their greatest rival, with whom they still have a wide disadvantage in the League (7 points), and for this reason, winning a somewhat 'cursed' competition for a long time could serve as a balm and would not leave everything in the hands of the Champions League. Xavi Hernández's men, for their part, know that to consolidate his project they cannot miss any opportunity, especially when they have already lost their second European 'bullet' and because of the rival they have.

The 14-time European champion has not reached the cup final since 2014, with his current coach on the bench, and after overcoming rounds with a lot of work against Cacereño, Villarreal and Atlético, now he has to knock down a Barça that was very superior in January in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.

The Catalan team prevailed with authority 3-1 and gathered strength at the start of 2023 in which they started better than the Real Madrid player, whom they managed to drop in the league race, but whom they forgave last weekend with their second defeat in the domestic tournament against Almería, wasting the opportunity to get ten points ahead.

That setback was added to the one suffered days before at Old Trafford where Manchester United came back to eliminate him from the Europa League and cast some doubts on a team that does not seem to be going through an excessively brilliant moment in its game. Real Madrid, on the other hand, alternate lights, like at Anfield, with shadows like in last Saturday's derby against Atlético de Madrid.

Xavi has not hesitated to give favoritism to his rival, who seems more 'forced' from the beginning due to his defeat and submission in Saudi Arabia and for playing in his stadium, where he did win the League Classic with solvency (3-1), a performance that he will try to repeat to face the return with more comfort.

In sports, the two technicians have some doubts to configure their eleven. Ancelotti must solve them mainly in the midfield, an area where he was dominated in the Spanish Super Cup, with the Terrassa coach getting his approach right and giving up one of his wingers, although he will have two level drops like Pedri González, Robert Lewandowski and Dembélé .

The Italian played on that occasion with Camavinga, Modric and Kroos and despite the fact that it did not go well, he could repeat. The Frenchman now seems ahead of a Tchouameni far from his best level and the Croatian has significantly improved his form, with the addition that both rotated in the derby, where the German was the midfielder.

Reggiolo's man recalled the '8' experience in this type of game and that could give him an advantage over a Ceballos whose game can help break Barça's pressure lines. There is also the option of repeating there with Valverde in a more offensive 4-3-3 where Vinicius, ready to fight a new battle with Koundé and Araújo, and an irregular Benzema are fixed. If the Uruguayan delays his position, Asensio and the recovered Rodrygo would be the alternatives for a team that must also decide whether to go out at maximum intensity.

Opposite, a FC Barcelona where Xavi must find the formula so that his team can not only dominate but can do damage, something that is costing him lately, weighed down by the loss of Pedri, key in the forward-midfield connection and that he was successful with the goal In addition, he will not be able to count on the danger that having Lewandowski always entails, although the Pole was not at his best scoring moment in 2023 either.

Now, the culé coach has to see if he chooses to repeat the scheme of the final of the Spanish Super Cup, putting one more midfielder (Kessié or Sergi Roberto) along with Busquets, De Jong and Gavi, who could list to the left, or play with the recovered Ansu Fati at the top and with Raphinha and Ferran Torres at the ends.

REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Nacho; Kroos, Camavinga, Modric; Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius.

FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Kound, Thunder, Christensen, Bucket; Gavi, Busquets, De Jong; Raphinha, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres.

--REFEREE: Munuera Montero (C.Andaluz).

--Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

--TIME: 21.00/La1-