MADRID – Barcelona defender Carles Puyol is in a battle to be fit for the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday, the second of four clashes with Real Madrid inside 18 days which will go along way to deciding both clubs’ fortunes this season. It is perhaps an indication of the domination of the top two in Spain that their league meetings have become crucial in deciding the title while they have also both reached the final of the cup. Next week they will be back in action in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
While some have claimed that the frequency of the games has taken away the intrigue from the meetings there was certainly plenty of anticipation ahead of the first head-to-head last weekend in the league which ended in a 1-1 draw. The debate since then has been about who can claim the psychological edge from that match as although the result practically guaranteed Barca the title, Real no longer considered it a realistic target, and so it was more about the performance. Barcelona remain eight points clear in the league after the game at the Bernabeu where Leo Messi put them ahead from the penalty spot before Cristiano Ronaldo replied also with a spot kick. It also marked the return of Barca captain Puyol who missed the last three months with a knee injury.
With Eric Abidal also out after having an operation to remove a tumour from his liver, Bar
