As the momentous occasion arises, ardent football fans brace themselves in anticipation for the impending clash between age-old adversaries, Barcelona and Real Madrid on Wednesday when they face off in an all-important Copa del Rey semifinal at the Camp Nou stadium.
This will be the fifth meeting between the two heavyweights this season and the Catalans currently hold a 3-1 lead over Carlo Ancelotti's Los Blancos.
Despite their injury woes in the first leg, Barcelona managed to secure a vital narrow 1-0 win thanks to an Eder Militao goal.
At home, La Blaugrana will be hoping to finish off their rivals and secure a berth in the Copa del Rey final.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, will be seeking vengeance and attempting to overturn the deficit on enemy territory after being thwarted by Barcelona at every turn this season.
Despite being behind Barcelona by 12 points in La Liga, Los Blancos will be eager to halt Barcelona's domestic treble hopes, having already lost the Spanish Super Cup to Xavi's side in Saudi Arabia.
At this stage of the season, Barcelona's lack of European commitments may be a huge blow to their reputation.
However, they have used the extra time to ensure there are no slip-ups in the league title race, winning their subsequent four La Liga games by a combined scoreline of 8-1 since their first-leg victory over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
From the looks of it, Barcelona should have a straightforward run to the league crown, with 11 games remaining, but the trophy-hungry Blaugranas will also be determined to reach the Spanish cup final for the eighth time in ten campaigns.
Since the 2006-07 season, they have progressed from every semifinal tie after winning the first leg.
Barcelona's near-impregnable defense has indisputably proven to be their most potent asset this season.
The Catalan giants have convincingly triumphed in five consecutive matches, yielding a paltry solitary goal in that spell, a fact which augurs positively for their upcoming encounter on Wednesday.
They have also embarked upon a formidable nine-game undefeated streak at their home ground, wherein their most recent triumph culminated in a crucial 2-1 victory over Ancelotti's side, marking a significant milestone as their 100th win against their fierce Clasico adversaries.
Real Madrid's protracted struggles against Barcelona have undoubtedly extended to their performances in the league.
Nevertheless, they recently reinvigorated their morale with an emphatic 6-0 triumph over Real Valladolid, where Rodrygo, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vasquez all put their names on the scoresheet.
However, it was Karim Benzema who stole the limelight with a lightning-quick hat trick within a mere seven minutes, effectively sealing the game before halftime.
Notwithstanding their dominant display, the likelihood of Real Madrid securing the title this season appears slim but Ancelotti's charges retain a strong belief in their abilities as they gear up to face Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, seeking to defend their European crown.
Los Blancos are likewise eager to secure a berth in the Copa del Rey final, a feat they have not accomplished since the 2013/14 season when they got the better of Barcelona.
Nevertheless, the task at hand for Real Madrid is considerably challenging, given that only Bayern Munich, have managed to secure a victory against Barcelona at Camp Nou this season.
Moreover, Real Madrid's recent subpar form, marked by a two-game winless streak away from home, casts doubt upon their potential to overcome such a daunting obstacle.
Barcelona, on the other hand, confront the upcoming match with several pressing concerns of their own, as they will be unable to field key players such as Pedri, Ousmane Dembele, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen, all of whom are recuperating from injuries.
However, there is some good news for La Blaugrana, as Raphinha is poised to make a comeback after serving his suspension.
The Brazilian may not feature in the starting lineup, as the likes of Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres, both of whom delivered noteworthy performances in the team's recent triumph over Elche, are expected to retain their places in the team.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti faces the absence of Ferland Mendy, who will be out of action for six weeks due to a calf injury, despite just recently returning from a two-month spell on the sidelines with a thigh problem.
However, the Italian manager can rely on Antonio Rudiger, who sat out of the weekend's win against Valladolid due to knee discomfort.
Although the German center back has resumed training, he has yet to rejoin the squad and his condition will be assessed over the next two days.
Mariano Diaz also trained alone but is unlikely to feature in the midweek encounter.
Nacho Fernandez, who had served a La Liga suspension, is also available if Rudiger's return proves untimely.
