Despite the crucial away goal in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, Barcelona are not willing to take any chances in the second leg against Valencia.
The Catalan Giants will be looking to book a spot in the Copa del Rey final as they host a determined http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Valencia-c40863 on Wednesday.
Although Pep Guardiola’s men are widely believed to be the favourites to win this competition, it is highly unlikely that they will have a defensive approach during the game.
While talking about the match, Barcelona midfielder http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Javier-Mascherano-c18071 admitted that cup ties can be unpredictable. The Argentine expressed that he is fully prepared for the match and that his team will be geared up ahead of the crucial fixture.
The first leg which took place at the Mestella proved to be a difficult test for the Spanish Champions. Guardiola’s men went one-nil down 27 minutes after kick-off, as Los Che managed to draw first blood. However, they were able to equalize through a header
by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Carles-Puyol-c8331 eight minutes later.
Lionel Messi’s missed-penalty cost La Blaugrana a crucial win in the first leg.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw with the Catalans coming away with a very vital away goal.
The reverse leg of the semi-final looks very promising as both teams will try their best to secure a place in the tournament’s final.
According to Barcelona’s official website, Mascherano stated:
"We know it'll be a difficult game and that we can't depend on the result we got at Mestalla. In the cup you can score at any time and a tie that looks won can suddenly change.”
"People are a lot more cautious [than they were before the second leg against Real Madrid], everybody was sure we had already qualified.”
"And the same will happen with Valencia, who want to reach the final as much as we do ... We are going to have to maintain the same attitude.”
The reverse leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final will take place on Wednesday night.
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