Real Madrid News
Real Madrid believe they can beat Barcelona in cup tie despite three Clasico losses
After losing as many as three El Clasico matches in a row, Real Madrid still believe that they can defeat Barcelona in the upcoming Copa del Rey clash if they go all out from the first minute, reports Jose Felix Diaz of MARCA.
Real Madrid first lost to Barcelona in the finals of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, before succumbing to a 1-0 defeat in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It was followed by yet another loss in La Liga earlier this month which pretty much ended any hopes that Carlo Ancelotti’s side had of retaining the league title.
Despite suffering three setbacks in a row, the Real Madrid locker room is said to be of the belief that they can overthrow Barcelona in the upcoming Copa del Rey semifinal second-leg encounter at Camp Nou on April 5.
Los Blancos believe that they are not inferior to Xavi’s side despite the last three meetings not going their way. And the locker room is confident that if they go all out with full intensity from kickoff, they can get the better of their opponents.
Real Madrid had managed to put a lot of pressure on Barcelona during the latter stages of their match in the league and believe that if they do that from the beginning, they can get across the finish line with a win.
With the La Liga title all but lost, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League are left to play for Real Madrid, with Ancelotti’s job possibly on the line. Failure to beat Barça on April 5 would mean elimination from the cup competition, which would hardly be favourable.
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
