Can Copa del Rey success save Barcelona's season?
But Maite Anton says it is not enough for a club like Barcelona
Barcelona were pipped to the league title by Real Madrid last weekend, giving up the crown they had won in each of Luis Enrique's first two seasons in charge of the club.
They had already been knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus -- who play Madrid in the final next weekend -- so now their only hope of a trophy is Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Alaves.
But will a win -- and Luis Enrique's this successive Copa -- be enough to save the season? Two of our journalists give their opinion:
Ivan San Antonio: Yes. To end the season without a title, which is what Barcelona are trying not to do, would be a disaster considering the size of the squad and how much it costs to maintain it. So adding to the Spanish Super Cup, they should win the Copa del Rey, a minor title, but a title, to end on a high note.
Maite Anton: No. The Copa should be valued how it is, and yes, Barcelona are obliged to win it so as not to add to the sensation that they are at the end of a cycle, but this title doesn’t compensate much for having lost La Liga and been knocked out of the Champions League. A big side can never be happy with just the cup.
