Copa Del Rey Fallout: Are Now Barca the Clear Bet for Outright Market?

The last-gasp win for Barca could give Hansi Flick’s men the boost they need to clinch an historic league, cup and Champions League treble.

Odds courtesy of BetWinner. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

Has the Copa Del Rey Final Tipped the Scales Further in Barca’s Favour?

Barcelona sealed the first leg of a potential treble this season with a dramatic 3-2 win in the final of the Copa Del Rey against the old enemy, Real Madrid.

Barca battled back from 2-1 down to take the tie into extra time, before a late Jules Kounde winner sparked ecstasy in the stands and anger amid the Real ranks.

The red mist descended on Real Madrid’s men, with three red cards dished out in injury time of the second half of extra time. Jude Bellingham was the third and final red card which was brandished after the final whistle.

Antonio Rudiger’s red card was especially poor. The German international was seen to be throwing an ice pack in the direction of referee Ricardo de Burgo Bengoetxea. Rudiger could face a lengthy suspension ruling him out for the remainder of the La Liga campaign, handing a further blow to the likely outgoing Real boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Looking at the match statistics, Barca were comfortably the dominant force over the 120 minutes. They had 22 shots to Real’s 15, nine on target to Real’s seven, and enjoyed 60% of the possession.

The fact that Real were unable to close the game out in normal time, despite Barca missing talisman Robert Lewandowski, will surely cause lasting damage to Real’s belief in chasing down Barca for the La Liga title.

Why an Historic Treble is Very Much on for Barcelona

Now that the Copa Del Rey is secured, Barca can focus on applying further pressure to Real in the league. They travel to Real Valladolid this weekend, who are already relegated and have conceded 81 goals in 33 games.

Hansi Flick will then hope that his top scorer, Robert Lewandowski, is fit again for El Clasico on 11^th May. The Pole’s return to the starting XI could be the boost that Barca need to beat Real again and move seven points clear with only three La Liga games to play.

Barca will have to make do without Lewandowski for both legs of their Champions League semi with Inter. His absence could be the only thing that spoils Barcelona’s European title bid.

However, they coped admirably without him in the Copa Del Rey, so there’s every chance that Ferran Torres can prove an able deputy against the Nerazurri.

Where do Real Madrid go From Here?

The only way Real can reassert themselves in the La Liga title race is by winning in Camp Nou on 11^th May.

Between now and then, Real host Celta Vigo on Sunday afternoon, while Barca travel to bottom club Real Valladolid. This means the teams are still likely to be four points apart going into the final El Clásico of the season.

Nothing but a win will do for Real in that fixture. If they can get the win, it certainly opens things up with three games left to play.

However, the team’s ill-discipline is a major issue, coupled with Kylian Mbappe’s fitness issues and the drop-off in form of Jude Bellingham. There are far more questions than answers about this Real side right now.

Real’s main hope is that Barca’s Champions League exploits leave them physically and mentally drained. Both legs of Barca’s Champions League semi with Inter are scheduled before El Clásico.

However, if Hansi Flick’s men reach another final, it could be the motivation they need to get the job done domestically at the Nou Camp on 11^th May.

The betting markets give Barca an 87.72% chance of winning La Liga. In many ways, all they have to do is avoid defeat on 11^th May. Even so, it’s difficult to back them outright at such short odds. Including the bet as part of a double on Barca to lift the Champions League as well may be the way to add value.