El Clasico: Barcelona vs Real Madrid - 3 things to watch in Copa Del Rey first-leg

#2 Messi faces a race against time

Will he or won't he - that is the question

Barcelona's topsy-turvy campaign in the league continued with a 2-2 draw to Valencia at home, as Lionel Messi struck twice to secure a point. However, his heroics culminated with a strain to his thigh as the Argentine ace limped towards the end of the match.

Now, he's doubtful for El Clasico even though he completed the training today with the rest of the team. The Spanish champions have a laborious schedule to negotiate this month, with two more Clasicos coming up in the final week after daunting trips to Bilbao, Sevilla and also the Champions League first-leg to Lyon.

Messi's intervention in each of those games would be instrumental and playing him tomorrow in the first leg of the clash would be gambling with his fitness. There are still no reports of whether the Barcelona No.10 has successfully recuperated and may feature in the game. But Valverde must lay his head in the water and opt to rest him as it isn't worth risking him.

There's a second leg still to come and even though it's at the Santiago Bernabeu, the tie can go either way because, as aforementioned, this is the El Clasico and it ain't over until the final whistle, no matter which stadium it's blown in.