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"The result does not suggest any favorites," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde after Wednesday's game. "The tie is open" said Santiago Solari of Madrid. "Everything can happen."
Barcelona will have Lionel Messi again available for the return on February 27, after their captain was deemed fit enough for only 27 minutes of decisive play at Camp Nou. The thigh he suffered against Valencia last weekend is considered minor, Valverde hopes to face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
"If he's ready to play, he'll do it but if he's not right, he will not do it. Said Valverde. "But we hope that it will be fine."
Ousmane Dembele could also be back in San Mames and, with Messi, the availability of the duo for the first of the two Clasicos in four days at the end of the month would certainly make Barcelona stronger.
Redemption measure
They were neglected for a good half hour Wednesday and Madrid could have removed the tie if Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema showed the same precision as Lucas Vazquez, who was eliminated at the near post in the sixth minute. Instead of, Barca kept the deficit at a and then took control of the match, their midfielder taking control in front of a nervous last 10 minutes.
The only surprise was that the Malcom EQ shortly before the hour had not come sooner, but the Valverde team saved their best in the second run of each of the previous rounds, he will feel well placed.
"The season is long" Gerard Pique said. "We will try to win the second leg but there are many competitions before and the league and the Champions League are more important, we will try to reach the final."
Madrid will also have at heart early spell who rocked Barcelona, then a long demonstration of resilience, the one that was absent their hammer 5-1 on the same grounds in October.
"Comparisons are useless," said Solari. "But it shows how hard the team has worked."
A draw seems far from revenge but there was a measure of redemption at least for a team that can score this result in six wins in eight games, the only drawback of a defeat in the second leg against Leganes in the quarterfinals, while the match was already far to be won. With a goal outside the insured the advantage of playing at Santiago Bernabeu, the only regret for Madrid is perhaps not being able to win the victory Ball dropped at Gareth Bale in the last minutes.
Marc-André ter Stegen was out of position, but Bale's shot was blocked by Nelson Semedo, a missed chance for the Welsh, who had been excluded from the starting lineup, demoted behind Vazquez and Vinicius.
"We had the opportunity to score a second goal, but we leave satisfied with what we did, "said Solari.
The ball takes again its sharpness after three weeks with a calf injury but the brilliant form of Vinicius and the loyalty enjoyed by Vazquez de Solari mean that he can not take his place for granted.
"Lucas has the virtues that I hold most to the Spanish character, said Solari. He is supportive and courageous. "
Real faces Atletico Madrid Saturday in La Liga, when a victory would see them jump over their rivals in the city second in the table. Their resurgence remains on track.
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