Copa Del Ray 2010-11: Another El-Classico on cards ?

This week the quarterfinals of the Copa Del Ray came to a conclusion. For people who dont follow Spanish La Liga , the Copa Del Ray is the EPL equivalent of FA cup. Its also called the Kings up and was started from 1902. This time there has been very few results which were unexpected and almost all the big teams were in the quarterfinals.The quarterfinals were played in a two legged showdown and most of the teams which had the lead in the first leg managed to go through the semis.

The quarterfinal’s results are as follows :

Sevilla defeated Villareal 6-3 on aggregate

Real Madrid defeated Athletico Madrid 4-1 on aggregate

Barcelona defeated Real Betis 6-3 on aggregate

Almeria defeated Deportivo 4-2 on aggregate

The semifinals lineup is as follows :

Sevilla VS Real Madrid

The first match between Sevilla and Real Madrid should be a closely contested match , as evident by the matches played these teams in recent times. Sevilla are having a pathetic run this season and are lying 10th in the La Liga. Moreover they could not qualify for the Champions League this season and were out in the playoffs. Real Madrid have done reasonably well this season under Mourinho by accounting the maximum points in Champions League and except that one match against Barcelona in El Classico , they have played well. The last time Real Madrid met Sevilla in La Liga , Madrid edged Sevilla by a solitary goal by Di Maria. Expect this fixture to be evenly matched too.

Almeria VS Barcelona

This match might sound like a David vs Goliath match but we all know what David did to Goliath.Currently Barcelona is on the top of the league whereas Almeria is languishing at the bottom of the league. The last time the two sides met , Barcelona thrashed Almeria 8-0. Don’t expect a similar scoreline this time though, as Almeria have done well in the Copa Del Ray recently and have managed to defeat both Mallorca and Deportivo twice to make it to the semis. Moreover they have nothing to lose against a side which is hailed as the best in the history of football. But looking at the Barcelona’s current form , expect them to win it over the two legs.

The first leg will be played on 26th of January with the return legs a week later on the 2nd February.

If Barcelona and Real Madrid do manage to win their fixtures , we are up for another exiting match on the cards. Real Madrid were proclaimed as the best side in Europe this season until the last El-Classico , in which not only Barcelona inflicted the worst possible defeat to Real Madrid in recent times , but they also snatched the mantle of best side from Real. Wonder what a single match can do a team in either ways. Now it can be a deja vu for both teams if they manage to win their fixtures.On current form both sides look good to make the finals. Real Madrid have a chance of redemption.A win against Barcelona will not only give them the Kings Cup after 17 long years , but it will be even sweeter as it would mean they defeat their eternal rivals.