With the treble dream washed down the drain, Barcelona will now have to go all out and win either of the two remaining titles still in play to avoid a second straight trophy-less season.
A good way for them to put the Copa del Rey setback behind is to turn their attention back to La Liga, where they can start by blowing off steam against Sunday's visitors, survival strugglers Real Valladolid.
The Hunter And The Hunted
Thursday evening's 3-2 defeat at Valencia in the King's Cup effectively ended Barcelona's hopes of an illustrious treble. Not only that, it also extended their poor run of results to just one miserly win in six competitive games, including three successive Liga outings without a victory.
It's a run that has seen them fall behind on league leaders Real Madrid instead of overtaking them, despite the capital club's own woeful streak of late. But all the dropped points have given the Blaugrana something else to worry about now: being hunted down by third place Villarreal.
Frank Rijkaard's side go into this weekend's round of matches a mere two points ahead of the Yellow Submarine, despite enjoying a cushion as comfortable as eight points just four weeks ago. Suddenly, the threat of losing second place has become more palpable than the prospect of climbing into first place.
All the lingering question marks over Barça's team spirit, unity, character and leadership will be put under the microscope this weekend as they aim to bounce back from the Copa elimination in midweek. Rijkaard's tactical planning will again be the major talking point in the lead up to Sunday's meeting with Real Valladolid, after the Dutch boss failed to steer his side to a sufficient result at the Mestalla to qualify for the cup final.
The Catalans will have to start making up for all the ground that they lost in the league over the past three rounds if they are to stay alive in the title hunt or at least ensure they maintain second spot to guarantee an automatic Champions League berth next term.
Although they have what looks like a fairly straightforward sequence of games in the coming weeks, including trips to Betis and Recreativo and a home tie against Getafe, the culés do have to pray and hope that their title rivals Madrid suffer at least two major blips in the very near future.
With every passing week, the pathway to the league title will grow tighter and tighter and with the club still engaged in the Champions League, it will become even more difficult psychologically and physically if the arrears to the top is not reduced soon.
Back To Their Struggles
Real Valladolid have once again found themselves floundering away in the drop zone as they look set to resume their battle for survival after enjoying a momentary escape from the strenuous dogfight for a few weeks.
A stellar start to 2008, where they won the first three league games of the year, sent them rocketing up to 7th in the standings and presumably clear of any substantial threat by the end of January. But the Pucelas were quickly brought back down to earth, and down the ladder, after a disastrous run of form from February onwards.
José Luis Mendilibar's side have won only once out of their last eight league games, five of which ended in defeat. That streak could very well be prolonged when they travel to the imposing Camp Nou and face a possible backlash from Barcelona.
Even though the Blanquivioletas are a healthy nine points clear of 19th placed Real Murcia, they are virtually locked down in the relegation threshold in 18th, levelled on 32 points with Recreativo and separated only by their superior goal difference. But the two sides will lock horns in the final game of the season and if things stay exactly the way they are come Matchweek 38, they will engage in an intriguing battle where the head-to-head record will settle matters.
FORM GUIDE
Barcelona
Mar 20 Valencia vs Barcelona 3-2 (COPA DEL REY)
Mar 16 UD Almería vs Barcelona 2-2 (LA LIGA)
Mar 09 Barcelona vs Villarreal 1-2 (LA LIGA)
Mar 04 Barcelona vs Celtic 1-0 (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)
Mar 01 Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona 4-2 (LA LIGA)
Real Valladolid
Mar 16 Valladolid vs Osasuna 0-0 (LA LIGA)
Mar 09 Athletic Bilbao vs Valladolid 2-0 (LA LIGA)
Mar 02 Valladolid vs Racing Santander 0-1 (LA LIGA)
Feb 24 Real Murcia vs Valladolid 0-1 (LA LIGA)
Feb 17 Valladolid vs Mallorca 1-1 (LA LIGA)
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
A piece of good news for the Barça fans is that Lionel Messi is making good progress on his hamstring injury and is expected to return to action within four weeks. However, Deco is still out with a calf strain and Oleguer Presas is nursing a fractured hand. Giovani dos Santos, Santi Ezquerro and Rafael Márquez are all also expected to be sidelined while Eidur Gudjohnsen could be a doubt due to abdominal annoyances.
Ronaldinho has resumed normal training but whether or not he will play any part in the game remains to be seen. Gabi Milito is suspended after last weekend's sending off for a double booking, but Andrés Iniesta has been cleared to play after the Appeals Committee rescinded his yellow card against Almería, leaving him with only four bookings for the season.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Valdés – Zambrotta, Puyol (c), Thuram, Abidal – Xavi, Yayá, Iniesta – Bojan, Eto'o, Henry
Real Valladolid
The promoted minnows could not have picked a worse time to have their two key centrebacks ruled out. José García Calvo is certain to be sidelined with a knee ligament injury while his sidekick Iñaki Bea is doubtful with a sprained left ankle, although he has returned to light training on the pitch.
Midfielder Ángel Vivar Dorado is also racing against time to regain full fitness after a recent injury, but the club's mid-season arrival Marcos Aguirre, on loan from Argentine side Lanús, has been forced to return to his home country to sort out some bureaucratic paperwork. Barring any complications, he is expected to rejoin his teammates on Saturday and he could yet play a part in the game.
Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Asenjo – Cifuentes, Baraja, Bea/Alexis, Marcos (c) – Rubio, Borja – Sisi, Victor, Sesma - Llorente
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Barcelona – Samuel Eto'o
The Cameroonian hasn't been his sparking self this season. Even though he is still scoring regularly, he hasn't been ripping defences apart at will like he normally does. But the last time the Blaugrana took on a relegation-threatened side, Levante, Eto'o smashed in a stunning hat trick and the Camp Nou die hards will be hoping he dishes out the same treatment to Valladolid.
Real Valladolid – Borja Former Real Madrid players have been plotting Barça's downfall all week long and the 27 year old will get a shot at that himself this weekend. Although it is unlikely the defensive midfielder will get too involved upfront in his team's goalscoring ventures, he will play an absolutely instrumental role in helping his team stem Barcelona's attacking tide.
PREDICTION
The last time Valladolid played one of the league's big two, they were walloped 7-0. You just have to assume that they have learnt the mistake of trying to fight fire with fire and indeed, ever since that defeat the Castilian outfit have tightened up at the back. This can only mean that Barça will need their attacking firepower dialled up to the max and that Rijkaard will need to come armed with more than just a single-minded game plan.
Barcelona 2–0 Real Valladolid
See Also
