There will be no nonsense in tomorrow’s line-up for Barcelona, contradicting the view that some pundits have that Guardiola will rest his key players in order to prepare for the more important Copa Del Rey final. Mourinho, on the other hand, might have a surprise or two. He made a scene in the press conference yesterday where he gave a silent treatment to the media. This might be his way to deflect attention from his team to himself.
Match scheduled:
Last updated: 20-04-2011 from 21:30 until 23:30(CET)
14-04-2011 on 15:07
The Final :: Spanish Copa del Rey 2010/2011 :: Match played at Mestalla, Valencia :: Bwin/Bet365 doesn't have the tv rights in Spain! :: Match also on TVE, SkySports2. ZDF, TV4 Sport, NTV Spor and others!
There are a couple of alarming things that might make it hard for FC Barcelona today. The first concern would be form of the players. Villa hasn’t scored in 9 games for Barcelona, Busquets was a little clumsy and over-confident when playing centre-back, Keita didn’t provide anything special when trusted with a starting spot, and Pedro hasn’t found his scoring form yet after coming back from injury. Mascherano’s absence only adds insult to the injury, although it might prove to be a blessing in disguise as he can be more fit for the CDR final game. Pique looked a little out of his element in the last couple of games, albeit scoring two goals.
The second concern would be the defense that is conceding at least one goal every match except for the last match. The Puyol factor is sorely missed in Barcelona’s defense but it also lets Valdes and Pique grow a little bit more and become more mature in their performances. The last challenge for FC Barcelona is Real Madrid’s improved morale which has seen them have three clean sheets in a row and have Kaka, Benzema, and Higuain back and ready. Even Raul Albiol is cementing himself as a reliable starter for Real Madrid FC.
