Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Players Who Must Step Up for Madrid to End Skid

Real Madrid has faced off with rival Barcelona four times already during the current season, but they haven't walked away from any of those matches with a win. The two sides will face once again on Wednesday in the second leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal matchup.

Here are three players who will need to have extraordinary El Clasico performances to end Red Madrid's recent skid against Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo is one of the world's best pure goal scorers, but when it comes to games against Barcelona, it seems like the pressure gets to him. Chances he would normally convert with relative ease against lesser competition suddenly start flying high and wide.

If Real Madrid hopes to get back in the win column on Wednesday, Ronaldo needs to perform on a world-class level. While he scored the team's only goal in the first leg, keeping that same level of aggressiveness for 90 minutes will be the key.

Should he continue to let his team fail in the biggest games, his legacy will always have a void. As if he needed any more pressure on his shoulders.

Iker Casillas

Barcelona has the most potent offensive attack of any team in the world. When they are clicking on all cylinders, Barca is virtually impossible to stop. That's where Casillas comes into play. He needs to play the role of brick wall between the posts.

There's no denying his talent; it's just about stepping up and having a memorable outing against Blaugrana. He's given up at least two goals in each of the previous meetings, including a pair of tallies in the second half of last week's match.

It's tough to single out a goalkeeper because his job is so dependent on the defense in front of him, but Casillas has the ability to steal a game for Madrid when he's in the zone.

Sergio Ramos

Speaking of the back line, Ramos is the most prominent member of Madrid's defense. Even though you can attribute some of Barcelona's success in the rivalry to terrific playmaking, defensive lapses have also been a problem for the Whites.

Ramos is the leader, so he needs to make sure everybody is on the same page for 90 minutes. Barca doesn't need much of an opening to make you pay, so one good half isn't good enough. Beating them will take a complete team effort.

All told, Real Madrid has too much talent to suffer such an extended drought against any opponent. Ramos and Co. should be supremely motivated when they arrive at Camp Nou to end the winless streak.