BARCELONA (REUTERS) - Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has said his side's Copa del Rey semi-final clashes with Real Madrid will further exhaust his players at a pivotal moment in the season but will also provide a great spectacle for fans.
Thirty-times winners Barcelona, who have won the last four editions of the Copa del Rey, will host Real in the first leg on Feb 6, with the second leg on Feb 27 or Feb 28 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Betis will host Valencia in the first leg of the other semi on Feb 7 and visit Mestalla in the second. The final takes place in Seville on May 25.
Friday's draw means Spain's two biggest clubs will play each other three times in four weeks and twice within four days, as Real host Barca in La Liga on March 2, after the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barca's two visits to the home of their eternal rivals come sandwiched between both legs of their Champions League last 16 tie with Olympique Lyonnais, further clogging a gruelling schedule as they also bid to successfully defend their La Liga crown.
"This makes the season even more exciting, two intense games that will take a toll on us physically but which will be very attractive for the fans and for us," Valverde told a news conference ahead of Saturday's La Liga game against Valencia.
"Our schedule is very tough, if you play permanently and don't get knocked out of competitions the level of tiredness is brutal. We have to think long term and short-term, because we don't want to slip up in the league.
Barca thrashed Real Madrid 5-1 in the last "Clasico" in October and lead their rivals by 10 points in the standings, although Santiago Solari's side are on enjoying a rival, winning five of their last six games in all competitions and scoring 15 goals.
"They were doing badly in the league but now Madrid are much better and it will be a difficult tie," added Valverde, whose side have a five-point lead over nearest challengers Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.
"It will be a great tie, two massive games in a moment in which both teams will be fighting for La Liga and starting again in the Champions League."
Barca overcame a 2-0 deficit from their quarter-final first leg against Sevilla, thrashing the Andalusians 6-1 in the return leg to progress 6-3 on aggregate.
Real Madrid had a more comfortable path to the last four, beating Girona 4-2 at home and winning 3-1 away for a 7-3 aggregate win.
Teenage sensation Moise Kean scored the winner to put Juventus one step away from an eighth consecutive Serie A title on Saturday as a 2-1 comeback win over AC Milan pushed the champions 21 points
Serie A Recap: Kean's goal puts Juventus on brink of league
LONDON • Professional footballers in England and Wales, including leading Premier League players, staged a 24-hour boycott of social media yesterday to protest against racist abuse, both online and from the terraces.
EPL players in 24-hour boycott of social media, Football News
After scoring his 35th goal for France against Iceland, Olivier Giroud wants to surpass Michel Platini's total of 41. Olivier Giroud has Michel Platini in his sights after moving third among
Giroud targets passing Platini's France goal haul - Sportstar
Brighton Edge Into FA Cup Quarter-Final reacts after fumbling a save during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Derby County at the American
BOURNEMOUTH, United Kingdom (AFP) — Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala's family grieved on Friday after British authorities formally identified his body as the one recovered from the wreckage of
Family mourn Sala after body in Channel wreckage identified
Football: 'Stratospheric' Messi scores 400th La Liga goal in Barca win. Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - FC Barcelona v Eibar - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - January 13, 2019 Barcelona's
'Stratospheric' Messi scores 400th La Liga goal in Barca win
New favourites face two stiff tests The challenge is different for Liverpool. A weight of expectation invariably surrounds a club of their size and history, but now the equation has changed.
Ballon d'Or: Lionel Messi, Virgil van Dijk, analysis, odds
Football: Pochettino gives backing to under-fire Lloris
Henrikh Mkhitaryan's Arsenal teammates stated their determination Silverware matters most to Emery as Arsenal aim to win for missing Mkhitaryan the first and most important is to win a
Silverware matters most to Emery as Arsenal aim to win for
AFC Asian Cup 2019: Hostile crowd awaits Qatar in semi-final against UAE A political dispute in the Gulf will play out for the second time at the Asian Cup when Qatar meet hosts the United Arab Emirates in the semi-final on Tuesday.
Soccer: Hostile crowd awaits Qatar in Asian Cup semi-final
LONDON (AFP) - Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen will see a neurologist on Thursday (May 2) after suffering a horrific head injury during his side's Champions League semi-final defeat against Ajax..
Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen will miss Bournemouth game after
Many now consider the title race to have been blown wide open, but Carragher feels those on Merseyside still hold the upper hand over rivals from Manchester and has urged them to realign their
How 9 Premier League teams can qualify into the Champions
"A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager." Mourinho took charge of United in the summer of 2016 following the departure of Louis van Gaal, winning the Europa League and EFL Cup in his first season.
Jose Mourinho Sacked by Manchester United, Club to Appoint
Vigil van Dijk could not vote for a team mate. (Reuters picture) BANGALORE: Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk says he voted for Manchester City's Raheem Sterling to be named PFA player of the year.
Sterling gets van Dijk's vote for PFA award - theworldnews.net
Juventus achieved their objective, despite everything going wrong - Allegri Juventus finished top of their Champions League group despite slipping to a shock defeat to Young Boys.
Juventus achieved objective, despite everything going wrong
betandwins.com/2018/12/12/juventus-achieved-objective-despite-everything-going-wrong-allegri/
"We achieved our objective by winning the group, even on a night where everything seemed to go wrong," Allegri told Rai Sport. "We missed so many opportunities and gifted a penalty, so at the end of the day it was only right that we lost. "[Dybala's disallowed goal] was offside.
Champions League: Juventus achieved their objective, despite
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen