Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: 5 Keys to Barca Beating Madrid at Camp Nou

Barcelona were terrific in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Those who watched the game will find it difficult to argue that the result was an unfair one, and Madrid should feel fortunate to be trailing by just one goal.

It will be a tough ask for Real to turn things around, and if Barcelona are able to replicate similar form, this match has the potential to be very one-sided.

Here are five areas Barcelona should focus on to ensure progression is achieved smoothly.

Unsettle Pepe

Pepe made the headlines for all the wrong reasons at the Bernabeu.

His conduct was disgraceful, and the constant falling and play-acting was nothing short of an embarrassment.

The blatant stamp on Lionel Messi's hand would have warranted police investigation had it taken place on the street.

On his day, the Portuguese international can be a player of some brilliance, but his temperament remains constantly in question.

It does not take much to rattle Pepe's cage, and if Barcelona are able to frustrate him, it would not come as the biggest shock in the world to see Madrid competing with 10 men at some stage at Camp Nou.

Limit Ronaldo's Involvement

Ever since becoming the most expensive player in football, Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to replicate his Manchester United form, in the big matches.

Despite this, it is clear that if Ronaldo does not perform, Real Madrid suffer.

He was very impressive in the first 45 minutes at the Bernabeu. His goal was well earned, and he was undoubtedly Real's main attacking threat.

In the second half he was non-existant. As a result, Real did not look as threatening as an attacking unit.

Restricting Ronaldo's impact on the tie will provide less of a defensive headache for Barca.

Commit to Set Pieces

Barcelona deserved to claim victory in the first leg, and what became clear as the match progressed was the vulnerability of the Madrid defence.

Carlos Puyol's equaliser for Barca illustrated Madrid's lack of defensive organisation, particularly from set pieces.

Sergio Busquets squandered a glorious opportunity from a corner, which should have been guided past Iker Casillas in the Real goal.

Corners and free kicks caused Madrid serious problems, and Barca should look to continue to exploit this in the second leg.

Play Their Own Game

Gerard Pique recently claimed that if Barcelona play their own game then they are unbeatable.

After analysing their performance at the Bernabeu, it is hard to argue against the World Cup winner.

Barca thrive on free-flowing, attacking football in which they dominate possession.

Their control of the match last week was staggering, especially when you take into account that Real Madrid are used to dominating at the Bernabeu rather than being dominated.

At home, Barcelona will feel even more confident, and with a vocal crowd firmly behind them, it will surely take a miracle for Real Madrid to progress any further in the competition.

Exude Confidence

Despite trailing Real Madrid by five points in the La Liga table, there is no doubt in my mind that Barcelona are the far superior team.

Confidence played a key role in their first-leg victory.

To play with such belief, away from home and against their biggest rivals, was a statement of intent from Barca.

The Catalan giants will go into this tie believing they will win, and it could have a significant effect on the title race.

Real Madrid will be psychologically scarred from last week's defeat, and a bad loss at the Bernabeu could have catastrophic results for their entire season.

If Barcelona play with confidence, they should not have any trouble progressing.