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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti spoke about his tactics against Barcelona in the upcoming Copa del Rey final on April 26. His comments came after Los Blancos' 1-0 win over Athletic Club in LaLiga (April 20).
Real Madrid and Barcelona have already clashed in two El Clásicos this season. The first one came in LaLiga in October last year, where the Catalans beat their rivals 4-0. The second clash was the Supercopa de España final in January, where Carlo Ancelotti's side suffered a 5-2 loss. The Copa del Rey final will be a crucial game for both sides as Real Madrid will focus on changing the result this time.
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In the post-match press conference after Los Blancos' recent 1-0 win over Athletic Club in LaLiga, Carlo Ancelotti weighed in on his tactics against Barcelona. He said (via Madrid Xtra):
"I didn't [try it tonight]. We wanted more control with Luka and Dani. We have time to prepare the Copa final."
It has been a tough week for Real Madrid, who were knocked out of the Champions League after a 5-1 aggregate loss to Arsenal in the quarter-finals. The Spanish giants are still contenders to win LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. However, their arch-rivals, Barcelona, will give them tough competition in both cases.
To counter the Catalans' attack-focused gameplay, Carlo Ancelotti's side must focus on strengthening their defense, which has been their key weakness this season. Playing Fede Valverde instead of Lucas Vázquez in the right-back position could work well. It remains to be seen how the Italian tactician plays his cards against Barcelona after suffering twice against them this season.
"It’s allowed to dream" - Barcelona boss Hansi Flick weighs in on winning the treble after setting up Real Madrid clash in Copa del Rey final
Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate to qualify for the Copa del Rey final on April 2. In the post-match conference, Hansi Flick was asked about his side's chances of winning the treble, which would include beating Real Madrid in the final. He said (via Barca Universal):
"It’s allowed to dream, but we have to stay focused and focused on what we want. We’ll arrive at three or four, then we have to sleep and get back to training and recover."
The Catalans last won the historic treble in the 2014-15 season under coach Luis Enrique's guidance. They have a chance to repeat the feat again if they win the Copa del Rey, LaLiga, and the UEFA Champions League.
The next two El Clásicos vs Real Madrid will be crucial to determine Barca's chances of winning the treble this season. Apart from the Copa del Rey final, the two sides will also clash in LaLiga on May 11. The results of the game will be crucial in deciding the league title race.
La Blaugrana are currently table leaders with 73 points from 32 games. Los Blancos are four points behind with 69 points from 32 games.
