Copa Del Rey Final: The 5 Keys to Barcelona's Victory
Here are the keys to Round 2 of El Clasico and what Barcelona must do, and do effectively, to take home the Copa Del Rey to continue their quest for another treble.
It will be a very tough contest, and with Real Madrid gaining new life and spirit from the draw on Saturday, they will come out firing on all cylinders, so it is especially important that Barca play with poise and continue their recent dominance over Spain's most successful club.
Possession
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A very important aspect to winning this match—Barcelona are so good at winning the possession battle against any opponent and it will be vastly important that they continue to keep the stacked lineup of Madrid away from the ball and limit their opportunities for creating chances.
Barcelona were able to win the possession battle 76 percent to Madrid's unimpressive 24 percent, so it will be key to hold onto the ball and play it through Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta.
Defense
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Overall, the defense in the first contest was solid, though there were quite a few opportunities for Real to attack the goal.
With Eric Abidal out for the rest of the season, it was important for Captain Carles Puyol to return to the squad quickly from injury, and he returned in time for last weekend's clasico only to suffer what appeared to be an injury to his hamstring.
Puyol did not train Tuesday, but has been declared fit, and Barca fans are certainly hoping he can play, because he's so important not only because he is such a formidable defensive force, but because he is an emotional leader and captain.
The rest of the defensive corps of Gerard Pique, Dani Alves and Adriano must continue to play smart and make good decisions, while Maxwell, Mascherano and Gabriel Milito must be ready to come on to the pitch and play well.
Limit Free-Kick Opportunities
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We all know how dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo is when allowed to take a free kick. That's why Barca must prevent him from getting into a position where he can do major damage as we saw on Saturday.
Though Ronaldo failed to convert off a free kick, he came dangerously close to doing so when a laser shot bounced off the post and left Victor Valdes in the dust—he had a couple of other opportunities to drill a free kick as well.
This is why Barca have to make smart decisions on defense and avoid poor fouls that can lead to Ronaldo putting one in the back of the net.
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Dani Alves Must Be Involved in Attack
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Usually, when Dani Alves gets involved in the attack, good things happen.
Alves has an uncanny ability to push the ball up the pitch and create chances, but he also has the speed and endurance to be able to get back and defend the counter attack. His crosses and balls placed into the box allow countless goal-scoring opportunities.
Though Alves has to be involved in the attack, he has to stick to his defensive duties. Barca cannot afford for Alves to get to caught up in the attack and forget about his main duty on defense.
Alves being able to get involved on the offensive adds a different dimension to the already stellar Barcelona attack.
Messi Has to Be Messi
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The best player in the world has to be just that in the final.
Messi struggled on Saturday despite converting on a penalty. If Messi is able to create magic like he has time and time again, it will make it everyone else's job that much easier. Seeing the type of player Messi is, you know he will bring his A-game on Wednesday.
If Barcelona are able to play as a cohesive unit, it will be very difficult for Real Madrid to stop this well-oiled machine, and Barca could very well be hoisting their 26th Copa Del Rey cup.
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