barcelona vs madrid results

Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid (AET): Cristiano Ronaldo's towering header clinches Copa del Rey for Mourinho's men

Mourinho’s debut final for Madrid ends in spectacular fashion as the capital city side require extra-time to lift the Copa del Rey

From : http://www.goal.com

Real Madrid were crowned Copa del Rey champions for the 18th time after defeating Barcelona 1-0 in extra-time at the Mestalla on Wednesday evening.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s tremendous header in the first period of extra-time proved enough to separate the two sides after some valiant defending late on from Jose Mourinho's men.

The opening ten minutes were fragmented as the players clashed bringing stoppages to the game, with the league leaders keeping the ball as usual but it was Madrid who had the first sight of goal.

Mesut Ozil chipped into the path of Ronaldo but the Portuguese’s touch made the angle too acute for a shot on target and his effort was heading wide before Mascherano hacked it straight back to Madrid.

Ozil worked space for a cross and it was nearly met by his international team-mate Sami Khedira but the German’s flicked header could only take the ball away from target.

Fouls continued to come in fast and furious in the opening exchanges and referee Alberto Undiano was forced to intervene to control a melee between the two sides.

Pepe picked up the first yellow card of the game for persistant fouling as his tug on Pedro's shirt wore out the patience of Undiano.

Ronaldo found some space forcing Jose Pinto into a smart save. The Blancos broke-away resulting in 'CR7' striking low from an acute angle but the Barca ‘keeper was able to palm it away.

Pepe then raced in on Sergio Busquets, who had reclaimed the loose ball, and slid into the Blaugrana midfielder only for Undiano's to refuse Barcelona’s request of a second yellow card to be shown to the Portuguese enforcer.

Real Madrid created the best chance of the match just before the break when Ozil swung in a beautiful cross that Pepe met only to watch his header rebound off the inside of the upright and away to safety.

The second-half brought about an early penalty appeal for the Catalan side when Andres Iniesta tumbled into the area but Undiano signalled for the Spanish maestro to get back to his feet.

Barcelona began to get into their rhythm with Lionel Messi and Dani Alves combining on the edge of the Real Madrid penalty area only for the Argentina international to be crowded out at the last moment.

Barcelona thought they’d taken the lead in the 69th minute when Messi kept his balance to play in Pedro whose first time shot nestled in the back of the net only for the No. 17 to notice the offside flag on the touchline mid-celebration.  

Messi then brought a fine save from Iker Casillas, who had to fling himself low to his right to palm the ball away.

Pedro became the latest player to test los Blancos’ keeper when his deft chip seemed to be creeping in at the far post only for Casillas to claw the ball away.

Barca were beginning to hit their stride and had Madrid on the back foot. Iniesta was the man on the end of the move and worked room to shoot inside the area but Casillas was equal to it again. The Spanish No. 1 made a stunning fingertip save to push his international team-mate’s effort around the far post.

Madrid came close late on to supply the winner, though Ronaldo and then Di Maria. The Portugal international had a brilliant chance after Emmanuel Adebayor’s through ball but he took too long to shoot allowing Dani Alves to recover and block the shot.

Di Maria then let fly from 20-yards only for Pinto to make a wonderful diving save to ensure the tie required a further 30 minutes before a winner was decided.

Extra-time began in typically cagey fashion as neither side mustered a clear cut chance until the 97th minute when Madrid countered at pace. Alonso pierced the Barca defence with a beautiful pass which 'CR7' latched onto only for the striker to drag his shot wide of the far post.

Ronaldo then made amends for his previous misses with a bullet header from Di Maria’s cross. The Argentine played a wonderful one-two with Marcelo before hitting a first time cross to Ronaldo who headed the ball back across Pinto, leaving the 'keeper helpless.

Pep Guardiola opted to introduce Seydou Keita and Ibrahim Afellay in search of a dramatic equaliser with the latter replacing Villa, whose goalless run stretched to 11 games but neither could make the impact the Barca coach needed.

Madrid had a chance to settle the game two minutes from the final whistle when Adebayor brought a great save from Pinto.

The drama continued late on when Di Maria was sent off late on for a second bookable offence gifting Barcelona one last chance to take the game into penalties but Madrid cleared to the sound of the final whistle.

Jose Mourinho’s first trophy for Real Madrid will be welcome boost ahead of their Champions League semi-final tie against the Catalan giants.

Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho ahead of Copa del Rey final: I decide how we play against Barcelona not Alfredo Di Stefano

From: http://www.goal.com

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho believes that both they and Barcelona have an equal chance of winning the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening, and has also hit back at club legend Alfredo Di Stefano for disapproving of the tactics used against Barcelona.

The two biggest and most successful Spanish clubs go head-to-head in the final of the Spanish King’s Cup at the Mestalla, and Mourinho says either side can win the trophy.

"I don't want to say anything out of the ordinary because there is never a favorite in a final,” said the Portuguese in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening. “Both teams have the same chance of winning. I hope we see a nice match and that everything in the stands and on the street goes down without incident.

“These are typical words before a final, but I truly believe them. I have played in many finals against teams that have been either inferior or stronger than mine, but they have all been evenly balanced. That is the natural tendency of finals."

“This is my first final with Real Madrid, but I am relaxed,” added the 48-year-old. “I have experienced many matches like this one, which is why I am a lot more calm than a coach who has never been here before. Our confidence lies in our hard work to reach success in the form of titles. If we win, great. If we don't, we will continue working."

This is the second time in fewer than seven days that Madrid and Barca will lock horns as the two sides clashed in the Primera Division at the Bernabeu on Saturday evening. The league match finished in a 1-1 draw with the capital club coming from a man and a goal down to earn a point.

However, Madrid legend Di Stefano was not impressed with Mourinho’s tactics and in his weekly column in Spanish sports daily Marcawrote, among other things, that “Barcelona were a lion, Madrid a mouse”.

Reacting to those stinging words, Mourinho said on Tuesday: "He [Di Stefano] is one of the most significant people in the history of Real Madrid and I am nothing in the history of Real Madrid. But I am the coach and the coach is the one who decides.”

"I am the coach," he repeated. "What do you want to do? It's me. The decisions are mine."

The former Chelsea and Inter manager gave insight into his tactical approach for Wednesday’s final and explained: "We will play with a centre forward, four on the back line, three midfielders and three forwards. We want to attack and score when we have the ball, while without it we must defend like a team. It implies that the entire team must be active in working both facets.

"This match will have nothing to do with that seen on Saturday. You never know what direction a match may take. We will have to see how things go and only then evaluate. Whoever plays or doesn't play for Barcelona is not our problem. Our game plan was decided yesterday."

Recent reports have linked Mourinho with a return to Italian giants Inter with whom he won the treble last season but once again the former Porto tactician has turned down suggestions of him quitting at the end of the season.

"I am 100% committed to my job, which is why I believe the president chose me,” he insisted. “There are those who don't agree with my decisions, but I am the coach and my job is to make them."

Madrid and Barcelona will meet again in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: 2011 Copa Del Rey Final

From : http://www.livesoccertv.com

April 2011 certainly is a wonderful month for followers of Spanish football, since great progress from Los Cules and Los Blancos in all competitions have added a bunch of Clasicos to their agendas. Beside the upcoming Copa del Rey final, a two-legged encounter in the UEFA Champions League’s semi-finals is also scheduled to follow. In the meantime though, the focus is on what lies just ahead, and coming up next is the moment of truth for both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

El Clasico, which ended in a 1-1 draw on April 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu, was definitely of great importance. However, in view of the huge 8-point gap at the top of La Liga standings which still remains, it is obvious that the clash’s outcome had a massive influence on the psychology of both giants ahead of their Spanish Cup final—more than it had in any other area.

Now then, a 1-1 draw can never be a bad result in any way. Especially for Real, who had to come from a goal down to level the match, there were noticeably some positives to extract from the 90 minutes. At most, it would be the defending Spanish champions who would need to revise their techniques and make sure they wisely profit from every single chance they earn, whenever they are firmly in control.

For Jose Mourinho—now Pep Guardiola’s perfect Clasico record breaker—his chances prior to the imminent 2011 Copa del Rey final are increasingly good. Having gone from a humiliating 5-0 away defeat back on 29 November 2010, to a brave 1-1 home draw on Saturday, the Special One is well aware that a victory could be the reward for his efforts on Wednesday in Valencia’s arena.

Barcelona are currently the Copa del Rey’s most successful club, with 25 trophies in their bag. Their last dominance in the competition was back in 2009, when they thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the final at the Mestalla Stadium to win the first of six cups that year. As they were bitterly eliminated last season in an early stage by winners Sevilla, the Catalans will be hoping to shut down their archrivals on April 20 so as to reach success this time.

With both Real Madrid and Barcelona having strong motives to triumph, predicting the winner of this year’s Spanish Cup edition is something hard to do. One thing though is for sure: the winner of the 2011 Copa del Rey final will have a great advantage before Los Clasicos in the UEFA Champions League’s semis.

VAN DER SAR - UNITED WILL RECOVER

From: http://www.sportinglife.com

Edwin van der Sar insists Manchester United will have no trouble raising their spirits for Tuesday's Barclays Premier League trip to Newcastle.

Floored by Yaya Toure's winner for Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday and with their treble bid in tatters, United have had minimal time to recover.

Their mood will have improved thanks to that dramatic finale at Arsenal on Sunday, where Liverpool scored a 102nd-minute penalty to deny the Gunners three points, that leaves them nursing a six-point lead at the top of the table with only six games remaining.

However, Van der Sar knows that as they head up to the north-east, United need to adopt a positive frame of mind, and he is confident they will.

"It won't be difficult to pick ourselves up," he said.

"We know how important the league is. We are in first position, so we just have to make the best of it.

"We were a little bit tired (on Saturday). The pace of our game was not quick enough.

"We have played a big number of games in the last three or four weeks and against Newcastle we must do better."

After a draining and disappointing day, United could not have hoped for a better outcome to yesterday's game at the Emirates.

They now know 13 points from their last six games will be enough to claim the title for a record 19th time.

It could be less than that too, as United still have their two closest rivals to play at the start of next month, Chelsea heading to Old Trafford on May 8, seven days after the Red Devils have visited the Emirates.

Neither game will hold any fears, particularly if United can get the setback against City straight out of their system.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team have an excellent record at St James' Park and prior to Saturday's defeat they had won six matches on the trot.

"It is always nicer when you find form straight away," added Van der Sar.

"We were a bit scrappy in the first half of the season and conceded some last-minute goals that cost us a few points.

"When things like that happen, it doesn't do your self-confidence a lot of good.

"On the positive side, you need mental strength in certain games when you keep conceding in the last minute or the ball is not going in.

"It shows the strength of character and the belief this manager has in the quality of his team that we were able to come through those moments."

Van der Sar insists the overall mood is still good at United as the season enters its crucial final weeks.

"You get confidence when you get on a roll," said the Dutchman.

"When you are not struggling and you get your players back it is bound to make everyone feel better about themselves.

"There are goals in the team too and defensively we are sound.

"No one likes to lose at any time but in general, there is a good feeling about how things are going."

David beckham

David Beckham is a footballer playing for the home galaxyteam THE WHO. He scored 17 goals in his 110 appearances for the national team at home. He is the only player to score in Bahasa three consecutive World Cups. A Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 2005, has appeared 100 times on the list for the year 2008.

He was born to David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham and Sandra Georgina West, May 2, 1975 in London, England. The whole family was a big fan of Beckham Manchester United. At the age of 11 years, David has had the opportunity mascot changed from Manchester United in 1986. He attended the Bobby Charlton Soccer School in Manchester, he won a talent competition Nowhere hunting and had a chance to take part in the training session at FC Barcelona. After attending school in Tottenham Hotspur for excellence, has joined the team at the junior level.

David Beckham has been a part of the group, affectionately known as 'Fergie birds', a group of young players, Sir Alex Ferguson Brought to Manchester in 1990, consists of players like Nicky Butt and Gary Neville. It 'been a member of the Manchester United team, which won the FA Youth Cup in 1992. He made his UEFA Cup debut against Galatasaray in December 1994. On his return to Manchester after spending a brief spell with Preston North End, made his Premier League debut against Leeds United on April 2, 1995. Beckham played a crucial role in the Manchester Premier League and FA Cup double in 1995-96 season. The following season, was voted Player Professional Association 'Young Player of the Year.

In 1998-99 season, Manchester United made an rare to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League the same year. By this time, Beckham was changed from an important part of football. His last minute free kick goal in World Cup qualifiers, England secured a place in the 2002 World Cup. In 2000 he was appointed captain of the national team and the following year, he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. A left foot injury in 2002 almost caused the loss of the uterus World Cup, but a timely recovery has been insured up to the expectations of citizens. But England's World Cup campaign that year came to suffer a setback after a defeat against Brazil, who went on to win the tournament.

Between the period of 1993-2003, Beckham played 265 league games for Manchester United and scored 62 goals. An alleged rift with manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United on leave uterus. He signed a four-year contract with Spanish soccer club, Real Madrid in July 2003. In his four-year stint with Real Madrid, he scored 13 goals in 116 appearances. He also won 41 yellow cards and 4 red cards, has been with Real Pls. Later that year, he received the 'Order of the British Empire' for his services to football by Queen. The year 2004 saw Beckham is wrapped in a dispute, Pls had claimed to have an affair with his former assistant, Rebecca Loos.

After a disappointing performance in the World Cup with the hosts in 2006, Beckham resigned as England captain. In August 2006, has been completely abandoned by the home team by the new national coach Steve McClaren. In January 2007, the family of David Beckham moved to Los Angeles. He was offered a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He made 30 appearances for the club, in which he scored five goals before being sent to Milan on loan in January 2009. He made 12 appearances for Milan in Serie A since January 11, 2009 and scored two goals for the team.

In March 1997, Beckham met Victoria Beckham, better known as Posh Spice, Spice Girls fame. They fell in love and dating each other soon. They gave birth to their first child in April 1999. In July, the same year, he married Victoria Beckham shops in a big wedding ceremony that instead Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin, Ireland. An estimated amount of $ 800,000 was spent for the ceremony. Their second son, Romeo Beckham, born on 1 September 2002, the third son, Cruz, was born February 20, 2005.

David Beckham has done for the 15th place in the Forbes list of 100 celebrities, while a BBC poll in 2004 listed as the uterus "91st Worst Britons". He has had his share of good as well as bad days, but it is a well known fact that he has established himself as a legend.