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The Madrid "Real" club, which has delivered the most strikes (171) this season in the Champions League, will not only have to strike but also score on Tuesday if they want to eliminate a two-goal deficit and gain a two-goal advantage over the "Barcelona" team in Barcelona.
UEFA Champions League. Second leg semi-final match
"Barcelona" - Madrid "Real"
Date: Tuesday, 2011.05.03, 21.45 Lithuanian time
Location: "Camp Nou" (99 thousand seats), Barcelona, Spain
Referee: Franck De Bleeckere (Belgium)
Live broadcast: TV6 (directly), "Viasat Sport Baltic" (video recording 23.45)
First leg: "Real" - "Barcelona" 0-2
The heated discussions that arose after the first leg in Madrid are still ongoing: whether Pepe deserves a red card for the foul on Dani Alves, whether Jose Mourinho deserves punishment for his harsh comments in the press, or if "Barcelona" players should be disqualified for demonstrating acting skills, and so on.
However, this is much less important than the result - "Barcelona" celebrated a 2-0 victory in Madrid and took a giant step towards the Champions League final.
"I think we are already eliminated. In Barcelona, we will give our all, but I do not expect success," Mourinho did not exude optimism right after the first match.
But burying the season in Europe - is premature, even knowing that the charismatic Mourinho will only be able to lead his team from the stands.
"Jose will be in the stands, but he will be able to give his instructions. If we won and could dedicate the victory to him, it would be a really big achievement," said "Real" assistant coach Aitor Karanka. "Our club has a 109-year history, so we will fight to the end."
"Barcelona" coach Pep Guardiola did not rush to celebrate success: "As Karanka mentioned, we will play against a team with a 109-year history. Eleven excellent footballers, trained by a coach who wants to beat us, will step onto the field. At the moment, this will be the most important battle of their lives.
"I do not know what to expect from our opponents. They can play in very different ways, so the semi-final is challenging for us. On Wednesday, we will see how psychologically strong we are. It's great that our supporters will be able to help us."
Historical facts predict success for the "Barcelona" club, which has faced "Real" in European tournaments seven times and celebrated three victories, losing twice.
In addition, the Catalans are the most productive team in the tournament this season with 26 goals, while "Real" delivers the most strikes. Cristiano Ronaldo stands out, having made 53 shots but only hitting the goal 24 times.
The Barcelona leader Lionel Messi aims for an impressive result. The Argentine has already scored 11 goals in the Champions League this season, with the single-season scoring record belonging to Ruud van Nistelrooy - 12 goals.
Possible starting line-ups:
"Barcelona": Valdes; Dani Alves, Pique, Busquets, Puyol; Xavi, Mascherano, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Villa
Defenders Gabriel Milito, Adriano, and Martino Montoya, who have suffered injuries, will not be in the Catalans' lineup. However, defender Eric Abidal, who has recovered from surgery, and midfielder Andreas Iniesta will return to the squad. Substitute goalkeeper Jose Pinto is suspended.
"Real": Casillas; Arbeloa, Carvalho, Albiol, Marcelo; Alonso, Diarra; Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo; Adebayor
The Madrid team will be without suspended players Pepe and Sergio Ramos, as well as coach Mourinho sitting in the stands.
