FC BARCELONA WINS 1 - 3 AT BILBAO IN THE SPANISH CUP-COPA DEL REY FINAL

FC Barcelona wins its second title this season after winning 1 - 3 Athletic Club Bilbao in the final of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey. Convincing performance with most of the "damage" done by Barça in the 1º half.

Packed "Camp Nou" with 95.000 crowd witnessing an inform FC Barcelona firing on all pistons & going into next weekends Champions League Final in Berlin against Juventus FC as favourites. There they will attempt to put the "cherry" on this season's cake with a possible third title.

While Barça collectively played almost flawlessly, the difference was again Lionel Messi who solely takes his Club onto another level that no other Club can reach at this stage. The Argentine is in a "state of grace" & the opener in the 20th min came from his play, his genius & his unique skills, zig zagging 4-5 players & blowing the "roof off the stadium". Heartbreaking for the Bilbao defence which had no answers. 

Said this, I am somewhat personally disillusioned with Athletic Club Bilbao tonight, a Club I expected more from in this Final. Little "real" Football to show overall & even less creative as they attempted to exploit their few resources; counter-attacks & aerial power upfront. Totally neutralized by their opponents with far more talent, which in itself could excuse somewhat the Bilbao overall performance.

Lionel Messi again scored, this time in the second half - 73rd min - from a Alves pass that shut the Spanish Kings Cup Final.

Neymar was a double protagonist tonight: firstly for scoring the 2º goal for Barça in the 36th min, & secondly for infuriating the Bilbao players in the latter part of the second half with "showcasing" when everything was won for Barça. The Brazilian attempted a self "balloon" pass - perhaps unnecessary - that was seen as "arrogant" & "unsportsman" by Bilbao. Heated moments that will go down as another "Neymar incident" that unfortunately are becoming habitual & blemishing the image of the player. Said this, perhaps it's just another moment of tonight's play where it does not need any investigation nor further analysis.

Athletic Club Bilbao got their consolation goal in the 80th min through young Iñaki Williams who headed home. Not taking away any merit for Bilbao, but Barça at this stage had their collective minds in next week's Champions League Final & perhaps sinned of dropping their concentration.

Conclusion, exhibition from Barça & from Messi & the 27th Spanish Cup title for FC Barcelona in its History. Now onto Berlin & Juventus FC to attempt & continue making History.

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SPANISH CUP-COPA DEL REY FINAL RESULTS | 1º LEG SEMI-FINALS

Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey action tonight with the 1º leg semi-finals scheduled. Here are tonights Kings Cup final results along with all the goalscorers.

FC Barcelona hosted Villarreal in their 1º leg semi-final match to eventually win 3 - 1. I say eventually because Villarreal was right in the match up until mid 2º half. FC Barcelona was more effective with their created opportunities while Villarreal, although managing to get to a goal,  failed to convert all their chances. 

Here is the order of goals:

• Messi 43rd min , 1 - 0  - pass from Suarez
• Tigueros 48th  min, 1 - 1 - mistake from Ter Stegen
• Iniesta 50th min , 2 - 1
• Pique 65th min.

The main points 1) Villarreal managed an important away goal through Tigueros which keeps the door somewhat open for the return 2º leg match, although a turn around is highly unlikely & 2) Neymar missed a penalty in the 70th min. Good match from Suarez who assisted & was very active even though he did not get onto the goal-sheet. 

Villarreal played well but fizzed out as Barça converted their work opportunities, many as counter-attacks, a style not habitually seen in pass history. Barça are in the box-seat for this tie.

Different state of affairs in the other Spanish Cup encounter with a final result 1 - 1 between Athletic Club Bilbao & RCD Espanyol - Copa del Rey 1º leg semi-final game. Competitive match between both with Bilbao starting stronger & perhaps deserving more rewards up to half time. However, Espanyol got their Football play together & bettered as the match went on. So much so, that the visitors managed an important away goal which gives them a slight advantage going into the 2º leg return match.  The goalscorers tonight :

• Aduriz 10th min, 1 - 0
• Victor Sanchez 34th min, 1 - 1

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SPANISH CUP-COPA DEL REY THURSDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

The Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey continued tonight with the remaining three 2º leg return Quarter-Final matches scheduled. Here are all the final results, goalscorers & qualifying Clubs.

Madrid Club Getafe hosted Villarreal which came into this match with a 1 goal advantage from the first leg. A contested match which was finally settled in the 78th min when Villarreal scored the valuable away goal through Gerard. 

Final result tonight 0 - 1 to Villarreal which goes into the Copa del Rey semi-finals where they will meet FC Barcelona. 

The 1ºst leg match finished in a 0 - 0 draw. The Spanish Cup Quarter-final tie was wide open with tonights 2º leg clash between Athletic Club Bilbao & Malaga FC up for grabs. After an intense 90 mins of pressure Football with the local fans roaring on their team, Athletic Club Bilbao managed a 1 - 0 victory over Malaga thanks to the 48th min Aduriz goal. 

At. Bilbao qualifies for the Spanish Cup semi-finals were they they will meet RCD Espanyol

RCD Espanyol won 3 - 1 in the first leg, & Sevilla FC needed to score 2 goals tonight to have a chance to turn around the Quarter-final tie. A packed "Sanchez Pijuan Stadium" cheered their side on, but the visitors held out to the Sevilla attacks all night. Espanyol stood firm & was disciplined in defence with Sevilla only managing to score just one goal through Diogo in the 88th min. 

Final result in tonights 2º leg return Quarter-final 1 - 0 to Sevilla FC, but RCD Espanyol qualifies on 3 - 2 aggregate & goes into the semi-finals to meet At.Bilbao

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SPANISH CUP-COPA DEL REY RESULT | 2º LEG QUARTER FINAL

Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey 2º leg return Quarter-finals games this week, tonight At. Madrid - FC Barcelona, & the three remaining tomorrow. Final result 2 - 3 favouring FC Barcelona which eliminates Atletico de Madrid from the Kings Cup with an overall 2 - 4 aggregate result to Barça.

Tonights match had some controversial moments with the referee unfortunately playing a role with bad decisions which "killed off the match". Penalty called when not, penalty not called when it was & a red card given to Atletico de Madrid Captain Gabi in the players tunnel area at the start of the 2º half which left the home team all the 2º half down with 10 men, & without real hopes of turning the game around. 

Said this, FC Barcelona deserved to go through into the semi-finals of the Spanish Cup after winning convincingly in the 1ºst leg & in tonights game. In both cases Barça reacted well under pressure & their big stars resolved well their chances with goals.

Atletico de Madrid got off to a flying start when Fernando Torres opened the scoring in the 1st min of play. But when the home team was up front looking for a second, Barça found a counter-attack that Messi started, Suarez participated & Neymar finished with goal in the 9th min. 

At.Madrid reacted & found themselves with a penalty - that was not - in the 29th min that Raul Garcia converted putting Atletico back in the tie. However, Barça was not shaken & in a corner Atletico de Madrid Miranda head in an own-goal to equalize the match & give the upper hand back to the visitors.

It was the best moments of the match with end to end play, when in a Atletico de Madrid counter-attack Griezmann had his shot at goal stopped by the arm of defender Jordi Alba. A clear hand-ball & penalty not called that saw how the ball rebounded to favour Barça & in the consequent counter-attack Neymar scored the 3rd goal for Barça in the 42nd min.

Dismay & anger from the Atletico de Madrid players as they basically watched how a comeback-turn around scenario went up in smoke. The Atletico complaints continued & Captain Gabi saw a red card in the players tunnel shutting any chance of a comeback. Stupid action from Gabi but overreaction from the Referee, both actions "killing off" what was up till then a great & entertaining Copa del Rey game.

The second half was nothing near the same as the first, as both teams accepted the result & the final outcome. FC Barcelona into the semi-finals of the Spanish Cup & Atletico de Madrid eliminated.

Tomorrow the remaining three 2º leg return Spanish Cup Q/Final games scheduled.
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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY THURSDAY GAME FINAL RESULT 1º LEG Q/FINAL

The last of the scheduled 1º leg Quarter-Finals of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey was played tonight between RCD Espanyol & Sevilla FC. Here is the final result & the goalscorer.

Intense stuff with Espanyol striking first in the 18th min when in form forward Caicedo scored. This was a blow that Sevilla FC did not fully recover from although their young forward Denis Suarez hit the bar in the 29th min. 

Espanyol made things uncomfortable for the visitors cancelling their Football with solid defending & dangerous counter-attacks. It was not long before Espanyol got their second when Sergio Garcia scored in the 74th min delivering the "final knock-out" to Sevilla. The third goal came soon after when Lucas Vazquez put the ball in the net in the 81st min. However, Sevilla managed a "lifesaving" goal in the 91st min that keeps them alive with an important away goal from Bacca.

Espanyol has virtually a foot into the Spanish Cup semis with a very advantageous three goal advantage. It´s an uphill battle for Sevilla FC which will have to pull from heroics to attempt to turn this tie around next week in the 2º leg return match, but they will have the warmth & support of their local followers.

Final result tonight 3 - 1 to RCD Espanyol.
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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY FINAL RESULTS | 1º LEG QUARTER FINALS

Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey action tonight - Wednesday - with three matches of the 1º leg Quarter-Finals. Here are all the final results along with the goalscorers.

Villarreal hosted Madrid Getafe & managed a hard earned 1 - 0 victory. A defensive Getafe thinking more in the return match managed to keep at bay Villarreal right up to the 85th min when Bruno scored from a free-kick. Relief for the home side as they earlier missed a series of obvious goal opportunities. Getafe will be disappointed after their effort, but they are still alive for the 2º leg.

FC Barcelona won 1 - 0 Atletico de Madrid in a competitive & intense match that was broken by a 85th min penalty by Atletico defender Juanfran on Barça midfielder Busquets. It was Messi who converted for the goal after goalie Oblak got his hand on the ball but the Argentine got the rebound. 

Equal game with both teams changing from being the protagonists while creating their respective goalscoring opportunities. In the end "a detail" was enough to tip the balance. 

Both teams meet again next week for the return 2º leg with the tie still wide out, however with Barça currently the having the upper-hand.

Malaga FC hosted Athletic Club Bilbao & finished in 0 - 0 drew result. Both teams had little goal opportunities as their tactical set-ups finished equalizing each other out. The tie will be settled at Bilbao in the return 2º leg match next week.

Tomorrow the last scheduled 1º leg Spanish Cup Quarter- final game between RCD Espanyol & Sevilla FC.
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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY 2º LEG TUESDAY GAMES RESULTS

Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey 2º leg matches this mid-week with two tonight. Quick summary of qualifiers for the next round, final scores & goalscorers.

Levante 3 (Barral 69th min & 72nd min, Juanfran 84th min) - Malaga FC 2 (Horta 21st min & Recio 37th min). Although Levante made a "heroic last moment" attempt they are eliminated from the Copa del Rey with Malaga FC advancing, 4-3 aggregate.

RCD Espanyol 2 ( Caicedo 79th & 89th min) - Valencia CF 0. Valencia knocked out of the Spanish Cup, with the red card to Mustafi in the 12 th min an important reason. RCD Espanyol into the Q/Finals.

More Kings Cup games tomorrow.

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ATLETICO DE MADRID 2 REAL MADRID 0 | SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY RESULT

Back after a few days off on a Christmas Break. Lots happening in Spanish Football these last days with La Liga back, FC Barcelona in crisis with Coach Luis Enrique & Messi locking horns & Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey starting yesterday, with games continuing tonight & tomorrow. 

To get back to the posting for 2015, will cover tonights big Spanish Cup-Kings Cup 1º leg match between Atletico de Madrid & Real Madrid. The final result - score 2 - 0 to Atletico de Madrid which takes a great advantage into the 2º leg game at the "Santiago Bernabeu Stadium" & forces Real Madrid to attempt a comeback if they wish to continue in the competition.

The starting line-ups:

ATLETICO DE MADRID: Oblak, Jesus Gámez, Godín, Gimenez, Lucas, Gabi, Mario Suárez, Griezmann, Saul, Raul Garcia & Fernando Torres.

REAL MADRID: Keylor Navas, Marcelo, Ramos, Varane, Arbeloa, James, Kroos, Khedira, Bale, Isco & Benzema

Highlights, the return of Fernando Torres for Atletico & Cristiano Ronaldo starting on the bench for Real Madrid. Both teams however gave their "stars" a run in the 2º half (Mandzukic & CR7 for example.)

Real Madrid went from dominance to less as the match went on. They created their chances but could not convert, plus Atletico goalie Oblak was solid along with his defenders. Atletico was solid, aggressive & patient with their Football, as they waited for the Real Madrid mistakes & eventual tiredness. Atletico was tactically smarter & better although Real Madrid played more the ball.

The first goal came from a penalty the Ramos committed on Raul Garcia. Childish mistake from the Real Madrid experienced defender that allowed Raul Garcia to score in the 58th min. The second for Atletico de Madrid came from a brilliant Gimenez header from a fixed piece that surprised the visitors. 

Top match with deserved victory for At. Madrid, while Real Madrid suffers their 2ºnd straight loss. Will have to make an outstanding 2º leg return match to stay in the Spanish Cup.

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY THURSDAY GAMES RESULTS

The last four remaining Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey 2º leg games were played tonight with the following final results & goalscorers.

Atletico de Madrid drew 2 - 2 with L´Hospitalet going into the next stage of the Kings Cup after having done the hard work in the 1º leg winning 0 - 3. Small attendance with At. Madrid giving a run to the players that aren't getting the minutes. 

Mandzukic scored both goals for Atletico in the 19th & 74th min, while Alcazar scored both for the visitors in the 67th & 84th min. 

Atletico de Madrid will now meet Real Madrid in the next round.

Elche eliminates Valladolid thanks to the 6th min goal from Adrian & final score 1 - 0. Elche will now face FC Barcelona in the next stage of the Spanish Cup for them. 

Athletic Club Bilbao won 1 - 0 Alcoyano with a goal from Viguera in the 38th min & qualify for the next stage. 

Malaga FC won  4 - 1 Deportivo A Coruña & go through to the next stage of the Spanish Cup. The goals fell in this order:

• Santa Cruz 51st min, 1 - 0
• Postinga 57th min, 1 - 1
• Recio 59th min, 2 - 1
• Santa Cruz 68th min, 3 - 1
• Camacho 93rd min, 4 - 1

This is a graph of all the results & next stage match-ups of the Spanish Cup.

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COPA DEL REY - SPANISH CUP WEDNESDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey 2º leg return matches continued tonight with the following final results & goalscorers.

Eibar lost 1 - 2 to Madrid Club Getafe & was eliminated from the Spanish Kings Cup. The goals fell in this order:

• Vigaray 22nd min, 0 - 1
• Diego Castro 34th min, 0 - 2
• Piovaccari (penalty) 55th min, 1 - 2

Getafe go through.

RCD Espanyol won 1 - 0 Alaves with the 64th min goal from Jairo, thus 3-0 overall aggregate. 

Levante drew 0 - 0 with Albacete, but qualified for the next round thanks to the 1 - 1 1º leg result with the away goal.


Cordoba drew 1 - 1 with Granada, but was eliminated.  The goal for Cordoba in the 5th min by Florin, but the "knock out punch" came with the 59th min equalizer by Mainz. Granada moves on to meet Sevilla in the next stage.

Real Sociedad knocked out Oviedo winning 2 - 0 with two goals from their giant Islandic forward Finnbogson - 28th & 61st min goals.

Villarreal won 3 - 0 Cadiz, with goals from Trigueros (penalty) in the 55th min,  & 2 from Gerard - 78th & 88th min. Villarreal qualify.

More Spanish Cup games tomorrow.

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY TUESDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

While the World Soccer audience had their eyes on the TV watching Spanish Football Club Real Madrid win 0 - 4 Cruz Azul in the FIFA World Clubs semis, in Spain four return 2º leg games were being played of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey. Here are tonights final results with the goalscorers. 

Celta de Vigo eliminated 2º Division Club Las Palmas winning 3 - 1. The goals fell in this order:

• Larrivey 19th min, 1 - 0
• Mina 50th min, 2 - 0
• Aleman 53rd min, 2 - 1
• Orellana 92nd min, 3 - 1

Near surprise after Madrid club Rayo Vallecano was leading t one stage 2 - 4 Valencia CF. The Valencia Coach Nuno made 3 changes in the 2º half & his team came back to equalize the final result 4 - 4 & qualify for the next round. The last Valencia goal looked illegal from Rodrigo & Rayo went off the field very upset.  The goals came in the following order:

• Alcacer 8th min, 1 - 0
• Jozabed 20th min, 1 - 1
• Pozuelo 23rd min, 1 - 2
• Pereira 38th min, 1 - 3
• Morcillo (own goal), 2 - 3
• Embarba 61st min, 2 - 4
• Alcacer 65th min, 3 - 4
• Rodrigo 71st min, 4 - 4

Valencia through on aggregate.

Whitewash as FC Barcelona won 8 - 1 Huesca to go through walking into the next stage of the Spanish Cup. HAT-TRICK for Barça forward Pedro. Here is the order of all the goals:

• Pedro 20th min, 1 - 0
• Pedro 27th min, 2 - 0
• Sergi Roberto 29th min, 3 - 0
• Iniesta 39th min , 4 - 0
• Pedro 43rd min, 5 - 0
• Adriano 68th min, 6 - 0
• Adama 78th min , 7 - 0
• Sandro 84th min, 8 - 0
• Gasper 86th min, 8 - 1

Almeria eliminated Real Betis winning tonight 2 - 1 (6 - 4 agg). The match included the goal of the Kings Cup by Almeria Zongo from the middle of the field. Goals fell in this order:

• Michel 58th min, 1 - 0
• Zongo 75th min, 2 - 0
• Perquis 77th min, 2 - 1

More Spanish Cup matches tomorrow.

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY - WEDNESDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Cup - Copa de Rey - games continued tonight with 5 matches scheduled. Here are all the final results along with all the goalscorers.

Sevilla FC played their 2º leg tie with Second Division Club Sabadell & won 5 - 1, taking the overall aggregate to 11-2.

The visitors got ahead first through a penalty that Collantes scored in the 21st min, from here it was a Sevilla Show with goals from:

• Gameiro 34th min, 1 - 1
• Aspas 58th min, 2 - 1
• Aspas 59th min, 3 - 1
• Aspas 61st min, 4 - 1
• Deulofeu 80th min, 5 - 1

Sevilla forward Aspas got a Hat-Trick in 3 mins!

Atletico de Madrid travelled to visit 2º Division B Club L´Hospitalet for their 1ºst leg Kings Cup game. The final result was a 0 - 3 victory for Atletico with goals from :

• Griezmann 67th min, 0 - 1
• Gabi 81st min penalty, 0 - 2
• Cristian Rodriguez 92nd min, 0 - 3

At. Madrid has the tie under control (barring an accident) & are on course to meet Real Madrid in the next stage.

Deportivo A Coruña hosted Malaga FC for their 1º st tie clash with the final score a 1 - 1 draw. Malaga got ahead first through a Samu goal in the 10th min, but Depor managed to equalize in the 68th min through Toche. 

FC Barcelona visited Huesca for their 1ºst leg match & won 0 - 4. Barça was mostly without their bigger names, but those on the field did the job, & well. Some beautiful to the eyes goals, especially the Ratikic free-kick & the Iniesta power-shoot. The goals fell in this order:

• Ratikic 12th min, 0 - 1
• Iniesta 16th min , 0 - 2
• Pedro 39th min, 0 - 3
• Rafinha 72nd min, 0 - 4

Barça has the tie virtually in the bag, but still has to host Huesca for the return 2º leg game.

Granada won Cordoba 1 - 0 with the goal from Cordoba. Ironic that the goalscorer has the same surname as the losing side.

More scheduled Spanish Cup games tomorrow.

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY - TUESDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey - action this week (over the next days) with 6 games tonight played. Here are the final results & the goalscorers.

Real Madrid defeated 2º Division B team Cornella 5 - 0 eliminating the later from the Kings Cup. No surprise, & the final aggregate score finished 9 - 1 to Real Madrid´s favour. 

Real Madrid gave their "reserves" a run & some youngsters from the B team, the big names - Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Kroos, Benzema, Ronaldo & Bale - were rested. Said this, it was a one way street with total Real Madrid domination. The only blemish for the home side was a 15th min penalty that Cornella missed. 

The other news was the return of Real Madrid young star Jese Rodriguez after 8 months side-lined with a serious knee injury. The player came on & scored the 5th goal to an applauding crowd & team-mates.

Here are all the goals in the following order:

• James Rodriguez 16th min, 1 - 0
• Isco 32nd min, 2 - 0
• James Rodriguez 33rd min, 3 - 0
• Borja Lopez own goal 60th min, 4 - 0
• Jese 77th min , 5 - 0

Real Madrid goes through to the next round of the Spanish Cup.

Second Division B Club Alcoyano hosted Athletic Club Bilbao in their 1º st leg game. The home side nearly pulled off the surprise, but Bilbao managed the equalizer in the 90th min through Viguera. Earlier Alcoyano went ahead in the 31st min with a goal from Ferron. Final result a 1 - 1 draw.

The tie is still open with the 2º leg to be played.

Second Division Club Alaves hosted RCD Espanyol in their 1ºst leg tie & lost 0 - 2. The two goals for the Liga Club came through Stuani, first in the 37th min & second in the 93rd min. Espanyol has a handy advantage going into the 2º leg match.

Second Division Club Las Palmas defeated Celta de Vigo 2 - 1 but allowed the visitors off the hook when they allowed Celta to score a 82nd min penalty by Santi Mina, a valuable away goal. Earlier Las Palmas scored two goals; Hernan in the 22nd min & Marcelo Silva in the 78th min. Tie wide opeen with the 2ºleg tie still be played.

The other game between Valladolid - Elche ended in a 0 - 0 draw.

Tomorrow more Spanish Cup games scheduled.

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FC BARCELONA 1 REAL MADRID 2 | SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY ( KINGS CUP ) FINAL RESULT

The first title of the Spanish Football season 2013-2014 fell the way of Real Madrid after defeating FC Barcelona 1 - 2 in the Final of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey (Kings Cup) played this Wednesday night at the city of Valencia. 

Important victory for Real Madrid which finally manages, along with their Coach Ancelotti, to win this season their maximum rival in Spanish & World Soccer. Horror 10 days for FC Barcelona which string together three losses ( Champions League, Liga game & Spanish Cup Final), something unheard off in the past 5 years.

Overall the victory was deserved by Real Madrid which had created far more chances of goal although FC Barcelona forward Neymar hit the post in the 90th min which if it had gone in would have been the equalizer & who knows, maybe a different ending to this story. But thats Football, tonight Real Madrid had luck smiling on them because they looked for it all match.

Intense match as expected with two differing styles; Barça dominating the ball & Real Madrid taking advantage of the spaces left in the Barça midfielder to counter-attack. The first goal came from Real Madrid when Di Maria scored in the 11th min. 

From here & onwards Barcelona looked to react & equalize but Real Madrid defensively was solid & very concentrated. The Real Madrid defenders Pepe, Ramos, Carvajal & Coentrao, with the help of a tireless Isco & Di Maria totally neutralized Lionel Messi & Neymar who was tonight the great disappointment. The Brazilian is still very young & he would have learnt tonight, but he was a shadow, to which many will critise Barça Coach Martino for not putting on Pedro earlier or from the start.

FC Barcelona is undoubtedly a great team & they managed to comeback to equalize against the grain when Real Madrid was continuously ripping the Barça defence apart. From a Xavi corner young Barça defender Bartra headed a magnificent goal in the 69th min that brought back his team to life.

But in the 85th min, perhaps the moment of the Spanish Cup Final, when Gareth Bale picked up a ball on the left flank & while pushed over the line accelerated to reach the ball to run 50 mts & score the winner. Amazing effort that gives the Welshman a piece of Real Madrid history & a dream come true for the winger. Real Madrid then held out & won this seasons Kings Cup. 

To finish, one can say that we may have witnessed the end of the "Greatest Football Team in World Football" ever seen. FC Barcelona will harshly & perhaps unjustly receive a storm of severe criticism the next coming days that will force radical changes for next season. One of those changes is the end of Coach Gerardo Martino who everyone speculates will not continue next season. There after,  a series of players, ranging from Alves, Xavi, Pinto, Pedro & even Messi, are under speculation of perhaps leaving as the Club looks to bring in "fresh blood" for next season. One of those, Lionel Messi, is being criticised for "saving himself" for the World Cup as his performances in the last few matches have been unusually poor. I personally doubt this from the professional, but...

Said all this, what if the Neymar ball in the 90th min had gone in instead of hitting the post?

Congratulations to Real Madrid.

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SPANISH CUP FINAL - KINGS CUP FINAL | POSSIBLE TEAM LINE-UPS

The country is slowly grinding to a halt as the Easter vacations commence & the Final of the SPANISH CUP-COPA DEL REY ( Kings Cup) is about to kick-off tomorrow - Wednesday the 16th of April at 21.30 hrs Spanish Time - between FC Barcelona & Real Madrid.

Top match of Spanish & World Football as two of the best Clubs on World Soccer meet up once again to attempt to claim the first big title of this season. FC Barcelona is super hyped up as they see this as a way to get back their prestige after being knocked out of the Champions League, while Real Madrid wants to beat their rivals for the first time this season & grab the first title in their attempt to also notch up Liga & Champions League.

Both sides have important players missing, Real Madrid being the most notable with Cristiano Ronaldo missing due to injury along with Marcelo. FC Barcelona will be without Spanish International defender Gerard Pique & youngster Marc Bartra.

Everyone pre-match is speculating on the possible starting XI line-ups for both teams. The general consensus is the following, for FC Barcelona:

Pinto, Alves, Mascherano, Puyol, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Neymar & Messi.

LATEST: Puyol OUT, in his place Adriano.

For Real Madrid the speculated starting line-up in tomorrows Spanish Cup Final is:

Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao, Xabi Alonso, Modric, Di Maria, Isco, Bale & Benzema.

A Final not to be missed & the perfect stage for some players to claim back their "star" status in World Soccer. Messi has a chance to push aside recent criticisms along with team-mate Neymar. While tomorrow is the perfect match & moment for Gareth Bale to find his place in World Football along with Benzema.

Lastly, the above starting line-ups are speculation-rumour & may suffer last minute changes according on how the Coaches of both teams may see fit.

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY FINAL RESULT | FC BARCELONA INTO THE FINAL

FC Barcelona has drawn 1 - 1 away against Real Sociedad tonight in the 2º leg semi-final match of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey. This results gives Barça a 3 - 1 overall aggregate & puts them into the Kings Cup Final were they will meet Real Madrid.

Bit of an anti-climax in my opinion as there was a pre-match "vibe" in the air that perhaps Real Sociedad could pull off a surprise. Instead they found in from of them an FC Bareclona XI that palyed one of their best games this season, especially the first half were they "dazzled" Real Sociedad with dominating touch Football. Lionel Messi decided to put up his "party piece" attacking the forwards head-on to find a space & bang his left foot for a goal curler in the 27th min. Things were basically sealed at this point.

Surprisingly the home team played its best Football with 15 minutes left. A bit too late to attempt a turnaround but they made happy their home fans showing that they too are proud to have gotten to the semis. Real Sociedad French forward Antoine Griezmann scored the equalizer in the 86th min & at least gave the scoreline a "sweet taste".

Spanish Football will soon have another "clasico" - Real Madrid / FC Barcelona - coming soon. Who will win the Copa de Rey ?

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY ( KINGS CUP ) FINAL RESULT | REAL MADRID INTO THE FINAL

Real Madrid has sealed its place in this seasons Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey ( Kings Cup ) Final after defeating Atletico de Madrid 0 - 2 tonight in the 2º leg semi-final match. The overall aggregate of 5-0 to Real Madrid would disappoint most Atletico de Madrid followers but the real damage was done in the 1ºst leg game last week.

Atletico de Madrid kind of accepted that a turnaround would be almost impossible & fielded a team with only two regular players, Koke & Miranda, assuming that the real battles would be up ahead in the future. Coach Simeone has now put his objectives in Liga & in attempting to go as far as possible in Champions League. 

Real Madrid on the other hand has sufficient resources to give Isco & Varane a start & the team did not notice the absence of those they replaced. The depth of talent is such that Real Madrid can concentrate & attempt to win all  three season titles as their super budget obliges them to do so.

The match was over in the 16th min. Real Madrid went up 2 - 0 with two penalties scored by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 6th min & in the 16th min. From here it was a more relaxed attitude from Real Madrid which kept the flow thinking in their upcoming appointments of Liga & Champions League. Young defender Rafael Varane in after a lengthy stint sidelined with his knee problem was able to test his fitness & by the looks of things it all went Ok. 

Atletico de Madrid pulled from pride & attempted to at least score to give their home fans something to cheer about but the "non-starters" have not enough playing time together to really dent the "armour" of their arch rivals. They tried until the last minute but they knew in their heads that they would front bigger & much more important battles in the coming weeks & months. 

Tomorrow Real Sociedad - FC Barcelona in the other 2º leg semi-final. The aggregate is 0 - 2 in Barça favour & it is possible that Real Sociedad can turn this around. A game not to be missed!

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY | KINGS CUP SEMI FINALS GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Cup - Copa de Rey ( Kings Cups ) 1º leg semi-finals action tonight with two excellent matches & with plenty of goals. Here are tonight's final results - scores & all the goalscorers.

Real Madrid gave a good shake the current Liga leaders Atletico de Madrid winning tonights 1º st leg Copa del Rey semi-final match 3 - 0. Very intense, very physical, full of controversy & great Football. It was a typical city rival game with "the body" serving just as well as the ball in order to gain the advantage for the return leg.

Overall Real Madrid deserved the win & could have scored more goals, especially in the first half,  & basically out played Atletico de Madrid tonight. The first goal came in the 17th min when Pepe scored a gem. This lifted Real Madrid spirits further with young Jese along with Di Maria starring & giving the Atletico defenders plenty of work. The half ended after falls, fouls, yellow cards & controversy that will be analysed in tonight's media & tomorrows Sporting papers.

No excuse however for Atletico as Real Madrid continued were they left off, & in the second half Di Maria gave a fabulous pass to Jese who scored in the 58th min. Then in the 73rd min it was Di Maria himself made a power shot that took the deflection of Atletico defender Miranda for a third ( an own goal ). 

Things are not a total disaster for Atletico as they have a slim chance of turning around the tie at their home ground next week. But it is a long shot as Real Madrid are currently very comfortable in the Spanish Cup semi-final "drivers seat". 

FC Barcelona won Real Sociedad in the 1º st leg semi-final of the Spanish Cup with a final 2 - 0 result. Surprisingly the scoreline stayed relatively low as Real Sociedad lost stupidly defender Iñigo Martinez for protesting in the 45th min. This left Real Sociedad down to 10 men & it was amazing that Barça did not completely run them over Real Sociedad to shut the tie. 

Habitual Barça game tonight of ball domination & attacking Football while Real Sociedad defended & looked for counter-attacks. Their most dangerous moment was a Carlos Vela escape-counter that saw Mascherano solve in the last moment, but it was a penalty that was not called. This is the principal reason why Martinez later received a red card for complaining. Barça attacked until the inevitable when Sergi Busquets scored in the 43rd min after Messi hit the bar from a free-kick earlier.  

The second half was all Barça & the second goal came from an own goal from goalie Zubikarai in the 60th min from an Alexis play & shot. From here & till the end Real Sociedad did an incredible job of not allowing more Barça goals. 

The tie is still open with Barça having a healthy advantage heading into next weeks semi-final 2º leg match at San Sebastian.

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY WEDNESDAY GAMES FINAL RESULTS

Spanish Cup - Copa de Rey ( Kings Cup ) action tonight with two 2º leg return matches scheduled. Here are all the final results-scores & all the goalscorers.

Atletico de Madrid won 1 - 0 in the 1º st leg in Madrid & today travelled to the Athletic Club Bilbao stronghold of "San Mames" where Bilbao have been undefeated all season. The 2º leg match tonight was a fabulous game of epic Football with both sides totally given to their cause that final saw Atletico de Madrid win 1 - 2 in a rainy Bilbao. Atletico de Madrid will go on to meet arch city rivals Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey.

As expected Bilbao went all out in the first half to attempt to turn around the tie. Boosted by their loyal crowd, the rain & their fierce determination they suffocated Atletico de Madrid forcing goalkeeper Courtois to save his team once again. The Belgium International showed again why Chelsea FC Coach Jose Mourinho said he would return to London next season as Courtois is definitely in the Top 3 keepers of World Soccer. Things complicated themselves half way through the 1º st half when Atletico de Madrid defender Felipe Luis injuries himself & was taken off, this lessen the attacking abilities of Atletico while Bilbao attacked in waves. The inevitable Bilbao goal came in the 41st min when Aduriz headed home. It looked at this stage that Bilbao was unstoppable.

However, Atletico de Madrid in the 2º half put in a brilliant exhibition of contentious Football & midfield domination to naturalize Bilbao. The Atletico de Madrid equalizer came in the 55th min when Raul Garcia fired home & lifted the spirits of his side. Bilbao attacked & attacked while Atletico defended strongly. The cruncher came in the 85th min when an Atletico counter-attack from Diego Costa beat an offside attempt to go on & win the Bilbao goalie & score the second, the winner & the "sealer".

Atletico de Madrid is the first team to defeat Bilbao at home this season & goes into the Spanish Cup semi-finals. Final score 1-2 ( Atletico 3 -1 on aggregate)

The 1ºst leg match of the Kings Cup Q/Final went 1 - 4 to FC Barcelona over Levante. The 2º leg return match at "Camp Nou" was going to be a formality & it proved so with a "smashing" final result 5 - 1 win to FC Barcelona over Levante. That is an aggregate of 9 - 2 in Barça´s  favour. The night at Barcelona was rainy & the stadium had only around 26.000 fans to see the following goals:

• Sergi Roberto ( own goal ) 9th min , 0 - 1
• Adriano 28th min , 1 - 1
• Carles Puyol 44th min, 2 - 1
• Alexis Sanchez 50th min, 3 - 1
• Alexis Sanchez 52nd min, 4 - 1
• Cesc Fabregas 68th min, 5 - 1

a crushing performance.

FC Barcelona goes into the semi-final of the Spanish Cup were they will meet the winner of tomorrows Racing de Santander - Real Sociedad quarter-final tie currently lead 3-1 by Real Sociedad.

The last mentioned Q/Final match between Racing & Real Sociedad is under threat of not being celebrated as the Racing de Santander players are on "strike" claiming their right to be paid their salaries. The Club has not paid their players for months & the players are currently determined not to play tomorrows Copa del Rey game. If so, Real Sociedad would automatically qualify. 

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SPANISH CUP | COPA DEL REY - KINGS CUP FINAL GAME RESULT

Tonight the first 2º leg return Quarter-Final match of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey ( Kings Cup ) between Real Madrid & RCD Espanyol. The 1º st leg match went to Real Madrid 0 - 1 & tonight the final result was a 1 - 0 win to Real Madrid which gives them a 2 - 0 aggregate victory for the tie & puts Real Madrid into the semi-finals. They will meet the winner of tomorrows Athletic Club Bilbao - Atletico de Madrid game. 

The 90 minutes was relatively controlled by Real Madrid with a solid defence & numerous chances of goal upfront exhibiting a great performance from Espanyol goalkeeper Kiko Casillas who stopped & frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo. The only goal of the match came in the 17th min when Xabi Alonso made a long range pass to a in running Jese Rodriguez who controlled the ball & fired home.

Espanyol tried to pull a goal back but they were ineffective & even lost a player in the 76th min - Sanchez - with a double yellow card which finally took all the wind out of their sails.

Tomorrow night two Spanish Cup 2º leg Quarter - Final games scheduled: At Bilbao & At. Madrid & the other game FC Barcelona & Levante.

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