Barcelona v Real Madrid, 2014 Copa Del Rey Final: Where to Watch Live, Preview and Team News
Follow live coverage of Real Madrid v Barcelona here
Barcelona take on Real Madrid for the last El Clasico of the season as both sides battle it out for silverware in the final of the 2014 Copa Del Rey at the Mestalla Stadium on Wednesday.
Where to Watch Live
Kick-off is set for 8:30pm BST. Live coverage of the game is available on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD.
Overview
Barcelona come into this game having suffered a 1-0 defeat in La Liga against Granada last Saturday with Yacine Brahimi scoring the game's only goal for Lucas Alcaraz's side.
The result added a dent to their hopes of retaining the La Liga title. After playing 33 matches, the Catalan giants currently sit third in the league table having garnered 78 points, trailing leaders Atletico Madrid by four points.
Gerardo Martino's side sealed their place in the Copa Del Rey final after registering an aggregate victory of 3-1 over two legs against Real Sociedad. Barcelona won the first leg 2-0 at Camp Nou with the goals of Sergio Busquets and a bizarre one from Sociedad keeper Enaut Zubikarai.
The second-leg at the Anoeta Stadium yielded one goal for each side. Lionel Messi's first-half opener for Barcelona was cancelled out by Antoine Griezmann's in the second-half.
Barcelona's elimination from the Champions League means this could be their only chance of winning silverware this season if they fail to defend their La Liga title.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid registered a comfortable victory in their previous league fixture against Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu. Angel Di Maria, Gareth Bale, Isco and Alvaro Morata all got their names on the scoresheet to complete a 4-0 rout last Saturday.
They currently sit second in the league table with 79 points after playing 33 matches, three points behind leaders and city rivals Atletico.
Carlo Ancelotti's side emerged triumphant against Diego Simeone's side over the two legs in the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey with an aggregate score of 5-0.
Pepe, Di Maria and Jese scored one goal each in the first leg at home while Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace in the second leg at the Vicente Calderon.
Real have lost both the El Clasicos played in La Liga this season but will be aiming for victory in the third and final clash of the season between the two teams.
Real are still in the running to win the La Liga and the Champions League this season. Ancelotti will be hoping that a victory in Mestalla will help boost their morale in helping them clinch a treble of silverware by the end of the campaign.
What Managers Say
Gerardo Martino: "This is a different kind of game because there is a title directly at stake. To have a chance of winning this game, we are going to have to produce our very best football. Finals are there to be won. There is nothing routine about playing finals. They are our objective. The players are used to playing finals, but it doesn't make them any less important. The cup is not something to be ignored, we want to win this as much as we would want to win any final."
Carlo Ancelotti: "When you play in a final you cannot lose and we have to do everything to win it. In a final anything can happen and we hope to be the best. It's a final. We are not approaching it with the intention of blocking out the other team, which is very strong. We're going to try and play our own game with our quality and our brand of football. We've worked all year to try and play in a certain way. It is the only solution we have to winning this final."
Team Form
Barcelona
- Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): L L W L W
- Last Result: Granada 1-0 Barcelona
Real Madrid
- Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): W L W W W
- Last Result: Real Madrid 4-0 Almeria
Team News
Barcelona
- Injured: Victor Valdes (knee), Isaac Cuenca (hamstring), Jonathan Dos Santos (calf)
- Doubtful: Marc Bartra (hamstring), Carles Puyol (knee), Gerard Pique (hip)
- Suspended: N/A
Probable Lineup: Pinto; Alves, Mascherano, Busquets, Alba; Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas; Pedro, Messi, Neymar
Real Madrid
- Injured: Cristiano Ronaldo (hamstring), Marcelo (hamstring), Jese Rodriguez (knee), Alvaro Arbeloa (knee), Sami Khedira (match fitness)
- Doubtful: N/A
- Suspended: N/A
Probable Lineup: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao; Alonso, Modric; Bale, Isco, Di Maria; Benzema
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.