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It’s all about one person today – Gareth Bale. The Welshman scored a sensational goal five minutes from time to secure the Copa del Rey for Real Madrid, and the papers are full of praise for the 24-year-old.

AS opts for the King of the Cup headline, while Marca also hails the former Tottenham Hotspur man. They both look in detail at the goal he scored, and how he managed to get past Marc Bartra having been knocked into touch by the defender on his way through to goal.

There are plenty of images of the celebrations that went on long into the night both in Valencia and in Madrid. The team flew back straight after the match to the Spanish capital to be with their fans and celebrate in Cibeles.

During the evening’s celebrations, many of the team were interviews, and the papers have the quotes of all of them. The underlying message the comes across is one of jubilation at winning the trophy but switching attention now onto other tournaments, with the league still very much alive and the Champions League all to play for.

Marca and AS both look at Barcelona’s situation too, and say it feels like the end of an era. The players were despondent at the end, and it feels like a period of change is underway at the Camp Nou, with question marks over Tata Martino. The likes of Carlos Puyol and Victor Valdes will be off in the summer, and the team is in need of new blood.

 

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Gareth Bale scored a sensational solo effort five minutes from time to help Real Madrid to a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in Valencia.

The Welshman’s stunning effort secured the first title of Carlo Ancelotti’s reign as boss at the Santiago Bernabeu and went some way to paying off a large chunk of the 91 million euros that Los Blancos paid for him last summer.

For Barcelona, the defeat meant the end of any chance of silverware, and huge question marks hanging over Tata Martino as manager of the Catalan side.

The Mestalla was electric, with both sets of fans creating an incredible noise inside the stadium. And the game itself started at lightning pace, with Barcelona’s Jordi Alba racing into the area and causing problems for the Madrid defence.

With much expectation on his shoulders given Ronaldo’s absence, Bale began the game brightly, and before the 10-minute mark he had been set free down the left and flashed an effort just wide of Pinto’s post.

Madrid deservedly took the lead on the 10 minute mark. Dani Alves was disposed in midfield by Isco, whose pass found Bale. The Welshman in turn found Karim Benzema, who set Angel di Maria running free. Barcelona keeper Pinto got a hand to his effort but it wasn’t enough as the ball bobbled across the line.

The goal was a setback for Martino’s men, and they looked shellshocked. But they eventually grew into the game, enjoying more possession. Somewhat puzzling though was the tactic of crossing the ball from wide areas – Leo Messi and Neymar would never stand a chance against Pepe and Sergio Ramos.

Something would have to change for Barcelona at the break, and perhaps Martino had some strong words at the interval as they were out early and waiting for Madrid.

Bale continued to be busy for Los Blancos and caused Barca plenty of problems with his pace. And on the 70 minute mark the Welshman thought he’d won it for Madrid, meeting a corner to head home past Pinto. But rather controversially the goal was ruled out for a foul,

Just a minute later, Barca were equal. Marca Bartra went up for a corner and sent a brilliant header past Casillas.

Barcelona then enjoyed plenty of possession and good chances, but the Real defence held firm. With the game heading to extra time, Bale collected pass on half way and carried the ball into the area to sent Madridistas everywhere into wild celebration.

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Real Madrid will look to secure the first title of the Carlo Ancelotti era as they take on arch-rivals Barcelona in Valencia in the final of the Copa del Rey.

Los Blancos will try to ruin the Azulgranas season, as Tata Martino’s men rely on this tournament as their chance to lift at least one trophy this year.

Madrid seek their 19th Copa title, which could also be the first step to win the treble, if they also manage to succeed in the Champions League and La Liga.

Ancelotti will have to cope with the big loss of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has not recovered on time from his physical problems and will be replaced by Isco. Alvaro Arbeloa, Jese Rodriguez and Sami Khedira are also sidelined due to injuries.

With Marcelo having recently returned to regular training after injury, the Brazilian was the only doubt for Ancelotti, but he will finally miss the game as well, leaving the left-back for Fabio Coentrao.

Meanwhile, Martino will struggle to decide his defence line, as he will probably miss Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, who are still at the end of their recovery process. Marc Bartra is also a doubt. Against Granada on Saturday, Martino opted to line-up Sergio Busquets as a centre-back alongside Javier Mascherano, with Alexandre Song in midfield.

However, that didn’t work and Barca lost to the Andalucians 1-0. Thus the Argentinian manager might be considering other options in case Bartra cannot play, such as featuring Adriano Correia as centre-back or switching Busquets and Song’s positions.

Victor Valdes is also sidelined due to injury and Jose Manuel Pinto will play his fourth Copa del Rey final. He was the goalkeeper back in 2011, when Real Madrid beat Barcelona 1-0 in Jose Mourinho’s first season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Los Merengues will try to take advantage from Barcelona’s defensive problems to repeat that result and take the trophy home.

Possible line-ups:
Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao; Modric, Alonso, Di Maria; Bale, Benzema, Isco.

Barcelona: Pinto; Alves, Mascherano, Adriano, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Cesc; Neymar, Messi, Iniesta.

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The Copa del Rey final is turning into a game of huge significance for both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

For Los Blancos, it could mark the first piece of silverware under Carlo Ancelotti, and the first of a potential treble this season, with the team fighting in La Liga and the Champions League still too.

As for Barcelona, the Copa may salvage a disappointing season by their standards, having been knocked out of the Champions League and having the La Liga hopes dented by Granada at the weekend. Even a win in the final at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium may not save boss Tato Martino from the chop come the end of the campaign.

There will be plenty of punters interested in putting some money on this match, and despite their injury concerns, bookies have Barcelona as slight favourites at 6/4, perhaps due to the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo for Los Blancos and the both La Liga matches going in favour of the reigning La Liga champions. There isn’t much in it though, as Real are at 7/4 to win the trophy.

In interesting market for gamblers could be which team will score first. Although Ronaldo is absent, Ancelotti has promised his side will come out attacking from the start. And in the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, they team has plenty of goals in them. Real can be found at 21/20 to open the scoring on the night. Barcelona have stopped scoring of late, just five goals in their last five games, and none in their last two. They are priced at 4/5 to get the first goal of the night.

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Iker Casillas says him and his teammates want to put the icing on the cake by winning the Copa del Rey against Barcelona.

The two teams meet in yet another highly anticipated Clasico match at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium on Wednesday. And Casillas says the players want end a strong showing in this season’s competition by lifting the trophy before refocusing on La Liga and the Champions League.

Before the team departed for the coastal city of Valencia on Tuesday afternoon, Casillas took time to talk to journalists about the match.

He said: “The side have had a great Copa and we want to put the icing on the cake in Valencia. It will be a vibrant game, with great players and we are confident that we can win and in our way of playing. We believe that we can do it.”

Much has been made of the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who misses the match through injury, but the World Cup winning goalkeeper said there is little point in thinking about who can not play.

“It’s not just Ronaldo, but all the players who aren’t available: Jesé, Arbeloa, Marcelo, Cristiano… But it’s not worth thinking about those who can’t play, we must think about those who can and those who the boss thinks are the most suitable and the best team to win the title,” he stated.

Casillas also played down the favourites tag after a dismal week for Barcelona. Los Cules go into the match on the back of defeats to Atletico de Madrid in the Champions League and Granada in La Liga. Moreover, they have somewhat of an injury crisis in defence with Gerard Pique missing, and Marc Batra and Carlos Puyol both doubts.

“Personally I’m not buying into Barcelona’s last week, despite the defeats in La Liga and the Champions League. Things are different for both sides, and anything can happen in a final. We are on a good run and we’re trying to get back into the fight for the league, but that has nothing to do with tomorrow,” the 32-year-old concluded.

 

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Real Madrid take on Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday and Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping the clash between the fierce rivals is settled in Madrid’s favour in normal time.

That’s because statistics show the Italian’s teams do not fair too well when a final has to be decided on spot kicks.

Ancelotti has lost four finals as a coach, and on three of those occasions, the games were settled by the dreaded lottery of a penalty shoot-out.  His AC Milan team lost to Juventus in the 2003 Italian Supercup by this method, and also to Boca Juniors in the Intercontinental Cup in the same year. Perhaps most excruciatingly of all the finals he’s lost on a shoot-out, the Champions League final of 2005 was it.

That final is considered one of the greatest of all time (perhaps not by anyone associated with AC Milan). The Rossonero were leading 3-0 at the break and cruising the final. But Liverpool hit back in a remarkable 15 minute spell after the break to draw level at 3-3. The Reds went on to win on penalties.

The only time Ancelotti has lost a final without it being decided on penalties was in 2010. Then in charge of Chelsea, his team slipped to a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley in the Community Shield – the annual curtain raiser played between the previous season’s league winners and FA Cup winners.

Having said all that, Ancelotti actually has a decent record in finals, winning 10 of the 14 he has reached. That’s a win percentage of 71% in finals – not too bad!

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It’s finally arrived! The Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona is played tonight and you can get all the updates here on Realmadridnews, with our two editors having travelled to Valencia to cover the match.

But first, let’s look at what the Madrid press is saying this morning. Marca and AS both have an air of confidence about them, suggesting Real Madrid have what it takes to beat their arch-rivals. Los Blancos have lost twice to Los Cules this season in La Liga, but the Copa del Rey could be a defining game for both clubs.

A win for Madrid would ensure a first trophy for Carlo Ancelotti and would kick off their bid to win the treble this season. Defeat for Barcelona would most likely guarantee the departure of Tata Martino after a disappointing season by their standards. Even a win for Los Cules may not be enough to save the Argentine.

In a poll by Marca readers, seven Real Madrid players were picked in a combined starting eleven of the players available tonight – Casillas, Pepe, Ramos, Modric, Alonso, Isco and Bale. Barcelona were represented by Alba, Alves, Iniesta and Messi – perhaps showing fans are leaning more towards a Madrid win too.

Finally, Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has called for a clean game between the two rivals. Los Clasicos have had some ugly scenes in the past with refereeing decisions being more spoken about than the football. And del Bosque said he was to see an exciting game, played in the right spirit and manner.

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has said his players will give everything to win the Copa del Rey.

Los Blancos take on Barcelona in Valencia on Wenesday evening, the seventh time the two teams have contested the Copa del Rey final. Ancelotti, who is aiming for his first piece of silverware since taking over at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, said there is no other option other than to go all out for the win and leave everything on the pitch.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of the match, the Italian said: “When you play in a final you cannot lose and we have to do everything to win it. In a final anything can happen and we hope to be the best.”

He called on his players to put in a performance similar to the last Clasico encounter last month, but to cut out defensive errors. The nine-time European Cup winners put in a much better showing that at the Nou Camp in October, although they still lost 4-3 at the Bernabeu.

“In the second game in the Bernabéu we played very well. We competed well, we were winning and we made small mistakes. We have to concentrate throughout the match. I’m very happy with the second match against Barcelona and we have to do this throughout the 90 minutes. We’ve looked at the defensive errors we’ve made and we have worked towards eradicating them for tomorrow,” Ancelotti stated.

When asked about any injury updates and team news, he revealed Cristiano Ronaldo will not be fit for the game – which was widely expected anyway.

“This morning I found out that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be there. We’re missing a lot of players but I think we can play very well. We’re losing a player of enormous quality. But the team has always responded well when Ronaldo is out, which motivates everyone,” he told reporters gathered in the press room.

 

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The Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona on Wednesday will be the seventh time the two teams have contested the trophy. And indeed it will be a tiebreaker, as the overall score is 3-3 from their previous six finals.

The last time these two teams met at this stage was actually at the same venue, the Mestalla, in 2011. A Cristiano Ronaldo header in extra time gave Los Blancos a 1-0 over their fierce rivals, and handed Jose Mourinho a piece of silverware in his first season as boss of the nine-time European Cup winners.

But you have to go all the way back to 1936 to find the first time Real Madrid and Barcelona played each other in the final. The game, which took place just under a month before CIvil War broke out in Spain, has gone down in history due to the superb performance of Real goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora – the man whose name is given to the annual trophy awarded to the best shot-stopper in La Liga. A former Barcelona player, Zamora made a stunning save in the last minute from Josep Escola, and Los Blancos returned to the capital with the then-called Copa de La Republica.

Los Cules would have to wait 32 years to get revenge for that defeat, but when it came in 1968, it was particularly satisfying for all those connected to the club. Played at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Catalans won 1-0 thanks to an own goal by Fernando Zunzunegui. Madridista fans had to watch on as the Copa Generalismo, as it was known then, was handed to them by the Spanish dictator General Franco, who had done so much to suppress the culture, arts, language and lifestyle of the Catalan people.

In 1974 the two teams met again in the Spanish capital, this time at the Vicente Calderon. Los Blancos were out for revenge having been humiliated 5-0 at home in La Liga in a Johann Cruyff inspired Barcelona. The Dutchman was not allowed to play in the final of the Copa though as foreigners were banned. Hugo Sotil was also missing for the Azulgrana, while Los Blancos were without influential German Gunter Netzer and Argentine Oscar Mas. Their loss was not felt though, as Madrid won 4-0.

Nine years later, and we had another Clasico final, this time in Zaragoza. Diego Maradona was the star of the Catalan side, and he was targeted by Los Blancos. Jose Antonio Camacho and Paco Bonet put in some fairly crunching tackles on the diminutive Argentinian, but Barcelona didn’t let it get to them. Victor Munoz put Barcelona ahead, and although Santillana leveled for Madrid, Marcos Alonso headed home to ensure the trophy went back to the Camp Nou. It was a disappointing season for Madrid who ended up second in every competition they played – La Liga, Copa, Copa de La Liga, Cup Winners’ Cup and the Spanish Supercopa.

In 1990 the teams met for a fifth time in the Copa del Rey final, with Barcelon edging a tght affair. Fernando Hierro was sent off in the first half for Madrid, and Los Cules went on to score two second half goals through Guillermo Amor and Julio Salinas. Some say tha match saved Johann Cruyff’s managerial career at the Camp Now, as he was under increasing pressure to win a trophy. Shortly afterwards, the Dream Team was born.

The teams had to wait another 21 years for a Copa del Rey final reunion, and Ronaldo was the difference between the teams. Leo Messi cried in the dressing room afterwards, but Barcelona would get revenge shortly afterwards by knocking Los Blancos out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage.

 

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Florentino Perez, Real Madrid president

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has urged his players to stay focused on the job in hand as the season enters its final weeks.

Los Blancos have their first chance to lift some silverware tomorrow night when they take on Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey in Valencia. They are also going strong in La Liga, sitting just three points behind Atletico de Madrid with five games remaining. And they face Champions League holders Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of that competition too.

Speaking to reporters, Perez said the players know what they have to do, and urged them to keep focused on the job until the end of the campaign.

“We need to give our all in the matches that remain,” Perez said. “We are on the right track, fighting for everything. We are very close to the prizes, we have them in our hand. Now we need to go for all of them. It will take one final push.”

Los Blancos last won the Copa del Rey in 2011, defeating Barcelona 1-0 thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo header. A year later they lifted La Liga, breaking the points record along with it. But the big prize they want this year is the Champions League, the trophy that has eluded them since 2002, and one the club is obsessed with winning as it would be for a 10th time.

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