Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Catalans Will Ride Hot Hand to Copa del Rey Glory

Real Madrid will be fighting the Camp Nou crowd, an aggregate deficit and a Barcelona side that is riding a hot hand. All of that will prove too much for Los Blancos in the quarterfinal match with La Blaugrana. 

You can tell how things have been going for Real Madrid in the way Jose Mourinho carries himself. The Special One was not his usual confident and boisterous self at a recent press conference. 

You would be a tad reserved if you were facing a mountain of a task and were in the middle of reprimanded Pepe for a hand stomp that took place at last week's initial leg of the Copa del Rey. 

The Guardian reports Mourinho "appeared lost for words." The words he did offer only added to a tense pre-match press conference where Mourinho spoke on locker-room cliques, Pepe's hand stomp and the possibility that Mourinho would leave Real Madrid this summer. 

When a reporter said that his colleague had told him the Madrid boss would leave, and asked him if this was true, Mourinho tersely answered, "ask your colleague." 

The answers were short as is the patience with fans and the media for a Real Madrid side that is being hit hard with image problems and a Barcelona side that is flourishing. 

On the other side of the pitch, Barcelona are riding a wave of euphoria and a 2-1 lead into their home Camp Nou. 

The Catalans are led by Lionel Messi who is coming off another FIFA Ballon d'Or win, his third in as many years. Any arguments that he was justified in his winning were quieted this past weekend as Messi crushed Malaga CF with a hat trick that included amazing feats from the game's best.

Messi is in fine form and will push the ball forward enough to keep Real Madrid on its toes. This match will be a fine display of rivalry chippiness and emotional melodrama.

Mourinho and Madrid will wear desperation like a cloak and Barcelona will welcome a moment to relax and play with a great level of comfort.

Los Blancos are the ones that will be pressing on Wednesday and it will serve them to make a couple of mistakes that will ultimately cost them in the Copa del Rey.

You can't stay on top for long in the two-horse race that is Spanish football. Real Madrid is in the unfortunate disposition of playing under extreme duress, and that is all Barcelona needs to send them packing.

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