Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola wants the scalp of Real Madrid as his 41th birthday present in tonight’s Copa del Ray quarter-finals first leg clash between eternal rivals Barcelona vs Real Madrid.
Madrid / NationalTurk – Real Madrid vs Barcelona. It can’t get better than this, as two Spanish raging bulls face eachother in the arena named Bernabeu for the first leg of the Copa del Rey. Two eternal and fierce rivals and arguably the best football clubs of the current global football conjuncture lock horns in the quarter-finals of the competition, with both sides seeking revenge respectively. Barcelona seeks revenge after they were defeated 1-0 by Real in last year’s final whereas Real Madrid ( they seem to be the side always seeking for revenge last years) seeks the revenge of their freshest 1-3 defeat at La Liga game last December in Madrid.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona : Pep Guardiola 41th birthday, Madrid wants to ruin it
Barcelona players have an additional motivation entering the Real Madrid vs Barcelona Copa del Rey game, as today is Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola ‘s 41th birthday.
“Going to the Bernabeu we have to be wise to get through,” Guardiola commented. “The only way to get a result and have the tie alive is to go to win the game. Real Madrid are the strongest opponents that we can find. Against Real Madrid you cannot feel or be a favourite.
“In sport there are no precedents. It matters what you do at the time. The game day is a new day and 90,000 people will support a team in white. You have to start again. That’s the beauty. This work makes sense because it offers passion.”
Pep Guardiola the Birthday kid’s 13 th El Clasico
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola heads into his 13th Clasico on Wednesday insisting his impressive record against Real Madrid counts for nothing.
These words of caution comes from a Guardiola who has won eight of his 12 meetings against the Catalan club Barcelona’s arch rivals Real Madrid, since taking over the managing seat in summer 2008, losing on only one occasion and to sweeten the revenge effect the loss was at last seasons Copa del Rey finals.
Pep Guardiola has named the 15 available first-team players and Barca B’s Isaac Cuenca, Martin Montoya, Jonathan dos Santos and Sergi Roberto in his squad, and confirmed yesterday evening veteran keeper Jose Pinto will guard the Barca goal.
“I have decided to play Pinto because he deserves it and is an excellent keeper,” added the Barcelona coach, who celebrates his 41st birthday on Wednesday. Pinto will save shots from the likes of Ronaldo, Higuain, Özil or Benzema for Pep Guardiola.
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