?Barcelona have drawn Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi finals, meaning the second Clasico of the season will be coming a bit earlier than expected.
The defending champions will face the toughest challenge yet in their defence of the trophy over two legs, the first of which will be this coming midweek, when Real Madrid visit the Nou Camp.
The draw was made on Friday, and it means the two giants will face off for the right to face the winner of Real Betis vs Valencia in the final.
?Barca overcame a two-goal first leg deficit with a resounding 6-1 win over Sevilla in the second leg to get this far, while ?Real eased past Girona by seven goals to three on aggregate.
The earlier meeting between the two sides resulted in a whitewash, as Barcelona ran out 5-1 winners at Camp Nou, with Real sacking Julen Lopetegui soon after.
Things have turned around for the Madrid giants since, however, with Santiago Solari’s arrival instigating a change in fortunes that has seen some fans grow hopeful of cup silverware – either in the Copa del Rey or in Europe.
The semi final meeting could tell a lot about how far they have come since Lopetegui’s sacking, and they will be desperate to stop their great rivals from clinching another domestic double.
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