And then there were two. But not just any two. The Big Two. Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off in the Copa del Rey final for the seventh time in the tournament's history.
Barcelona did not finish its second leg against Real Sociedad with the same emphatic purpose that Real Madrid did against Atletico Madrid, but Lionel Messi continued to show the world that he can return to the form that won him four straight Ballon d'Or awards.
The two sides have faced off 32 times in the Copa del Rey, but seven of those have been for the top prize. The first final came in 1936 when Real Madrid took down Barcelona 2-1 thanks to goals from Eugenio and Lecue.
The teams met again for another final in 1968 when Barcelona took home the win by the score of 1-0. Then the teams met in the final against in 1974 when Real Madrid took back the title with an emphatic 4-0 win. Barcelona wound up winning the following two finals matchups in 1983 and 1990; the first of these finals was a 2-1 victory and the second was a 2-0 final.
The teams did not meet in a final until 2011 when Real Madrid, powered by a 103rd minute goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, claimed a 1-0 win.
This match will undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated Copa del Rey finals in years. Ronaldo is arguably at the peak of his career while Messi is in the same position. But more importantly, the two sides have not been this competitive in years. Barcelona has dominated the soccer stage for the last half-decade while Real Madrid has constantly played catch-up. This season the two sides are tied for first place in the Spanish League and arguably have similar weaknesses. The defense is questionable on both sides but the offense is at its most potent. One might argue that Real Madrid's offense is superior at the moment, making the match all the more suspenseful.
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