DID YOU KNOW?
* Barcelona’s run of five successive Clasico wins came to an end with Saturday’s 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu.
* Lionel Messi managed to score his first goal against a side coached by Jose Mourinho, converting a penalty early in the second half.
* During the encounter, the Catalans successfully completed 817 passes – nearly 100 more than they achieved during their 5-0 win over Real Madrid in November.
* Pep Guardiola’s side also had as many shots on target as they mustered in the meeting at Camp Nou.
* With 25 wins to their credit, no side is as successful as Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.
* They’ve also been runners-up on nine occasions, but have won their last three finals.
* In four cup final meetings against the capital side, Barcelona have won three.
* Real Madrid’s strike-rate of success in Copa del Rey finals is below 50 per cent, winning only 17 of their 36 appearances in the final two.
* Since last winning the trophy in 1993, the Bernabeu side have made the final only twice, losing out in 2002 and 2004 to Deportivo La Coruna (2-1) and Real Zaragoza (3-2 aet) respectively.
* The last time they met Barcelona on such an occasion, the nine-time European Cup winners went down 2-0 also at the Mestalla.
* In 1974, Madrid lost 5-0 in a league encounter against their great rivals before bouncing back to a 4-0 cup final success.
* Last weekend, Jose Mourinho’s side only completed 64.4% of their attempted passes, of which they made 278.
* Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first career goal against Barcelona at the Bernabeu, shooting home a penalty kick late in the game.
LAST MEETING
April 29, 2011: Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
In a tight affair at the Bernabeu, little was given away by a defensively-minded home side, who were happy to sit back and absorb pressure. Barcelona took the lead from the penalty spot through Lionel Messi, gaining a double advantage as Raul Albiol was dismissed in conceding the foul. Real Madrid offered little resistance until the closing stages, when Mesut Ozil livened up the game. Ultimately, a Marcelo raid into the box drew an indiscretion from Dani Alves, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to level from 12 yards.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Busquets, Adriano; Xavi, Mascherano, Iniesta; Villa, Messi, Pedro
Real Madrid: Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso; Ronaldo, Ozil, Di Maria; Adebayor
Prediction
Saturday’s clash proved to be tight, which suited the capital side, and it would be somewhat surprising if Jose Mourinho elected to adopt a significantly more offensive mindset. This will doubtless trouble Barcelona, yet the Catalans will start as favourites to lift the crown, despite a rather low-key weekend showing.
Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid 
