Iker Casillas was brilliant in his last outing against Barcelona. Iker Casillas was brilliant in his last outing against Barcelona.
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images
Taking any team over Barcelona in a two-legged Champions League tilt would have seemed especially outlandish when you consider how dominant the Catalans have been this season.
When you throw in the absolute dismantling Barcelona put on Real Madrid in a 5-0 victory on Nov. 29, it was painfully obvious that Barcelona were by far the superior side.
But we're going against the grain on this one and picking a Manchester United vs. Real Madrid final at Wembley on May 28.
Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo rid themselves of a few Barcelona-related demons when Ronaldo headed in an extra-time winner and Madrid finally conquered an in-form Barcelona side. Since then, Madrid players have showered manager Jose Mourinho with praise for his tactical genius and how good of a job he's done handling a Madrid side overflowing with star power.
Let's not forget, Mourinho has conquered Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals before. And he did so without the talent he currently has at his disposal in Madrid.
Iker Casillas is unquestionably the world's best goalkeeper and was absolutely brilliant in Madrid's Copa del Rey triumph. We're guessing that he'll have another World Cup-like performance against Barcelona.
Prediction: Madrid wins at the Bernabéu 1-0 behind a goal from German Mesut Ozil. In the return leg the two rivals battle to a 1-1 draw with Barca's David Villa striking first and Cristiano Ronaldo again coming up with the winner to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com
