Crunch time for Madrid with Copa final before City game

It's time for Real Madrid to switch back into championship mode for the final part of what has been an inconsistent season.

Madrid will play Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday following a stretch of poor show‐ ings in the Spanish league, where the title has long been out of reach.

Carlo Ancelotti's players have been playing far from their best with their focus clearly on the game in Seville against Osasuna — and on what's to come just after.

Three days later, Madrid will play the first leg of its highly an‐ ticipated Champions league semi‐ final rematch against Manchester City. The second leg in England will be played on May 17.

While Madrid's top priority is to defend its continental title and lift a record‐extending 15th Euro‐ pean Cup, a victory over Osasuna would secure its first Spanish cup in nearly a decade and give it the chance for a pair of titles this cam‐ paign.

Madrid has produced convinc‐ ing wins over Liverpool and Chelsea in the Champions League knockout rounds, but it has lost four of its last eight Spanish league games. Its 2‐0 defeat at Real Sociedad this week let Atlético Madrid move ahead of its crosstown rival and into second place behind runaway leader Barcelona.

Karim Benzema sat out the So‐ ciedad game, while attack partner Vinícius Júnior was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards. So both should be rested for the critical week ahead.

Madrid is trying to win its first Copa since 2014, when Gareth Bale scored a late winner to beat Barcelona 2‐1.

It has won the cup 19 times, third most behind Barcelona (31) and Athletic Bilbao (23). But when it comes to pure motiva‐ tion, Osasuna most likely has the advantage over its star‐studded opponent.

The modest club based in Pam‐ plona has been waiting almost two decades for another shot at winning its first major trophy.

This will be just the second Copa final in Osasuna's history. It reached the 2005 final, only to lose 2‐1 to Real Betis in extra time.

Ancelotti should have all his first‐choice players available. The main question is whether Ed‐ uardo Camavinga will play at left back or in midfield instead of France teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni to help veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

The other choice for Ancelotti could be whether he starts Rodrygo or Federico Valverde up front.

In his four seasons with Os‐ asuna, 45‐year‐old coach Jagoba

Arrasate has forged a team that few like to play against. Its up‐ tempo pace and bruising defend‐ ing have led it past Betis, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao to reach the final, while also keeping it in the top half of the Spanish league.

Osasuna's defense is anchored by Spain center back David Gar‐ cía, who debuted for the national team in March at the age of 29. Forwards Chimy Ávila and Abde Ezzalzouli are fast one‐on‐one threats on the break; Moi Gómez has emerged as one of the league's top midfielders this sea‐ son; and Sergio Herrera can have inspired nights in goal.

In the league this season, Os‐ asuna drew 1‐1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in October and lost 2‐0 at home to Madrid in February.

The final will be played in La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, a mu‐ nicipal venue that has been used by Spain's national team and hosted group games for the last European Championship.

Liverpool to mark coronation, notes 'strong views' of fans

Liverpool will play the national anthem before the start of its Pre‐ mier League game on Saturday to mark the coronation of King Charles III and acknowledged Fri‐ day that "some supporters have strong views on it."

The team said it would play "God Save the King" after the league had contacted clubs play‐ ing home games and "strongly suggested" they note the historic occasion.

Liverpool supporters booed the national anthem — which was formerly "God Save the Queen" — when it was played ahead of the FA Cup final a year ago and the Community Shield in July because of what is perceived to be a long‐ held opposition toward the es‐ tablishment.

Queen Elizabeth II held the throne for seven decades until her death in September at the age of 96. Liverpool fans booed the national anthem in the 1980s and during what some refer to as the "managed decline" of the city dur‐ ing the tenure of the Conservative Party‐led government. Deepening those feelings were the actions of the government following the Hillsborough Stadium disaster, and many from the left‐leaning city continue to feel let down by the state.

Liverpool hosts Brentford at An‐ field on Saturday afternoon. The club tucked its plans into an an‐ nouncement that also discussed charity initiatives and support of the city of Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest.

"Just over a week ago, the Pre‐ mier League contacted all home clubs and strongly suggested to mark this historic occasion across home matches this weekend and provided a list of activity for clubs to get involved in," Liverpool said on its website.

Before kickoff, "players and offi‐ cials will congregate around the center circle when the national anthem will be played," the club said.

"It is, of course, a personal choice how those at Anfield on Saturday mark this occasion and we know some supporters have strong views on it."

During Wednesday's 1‐0 win over Fulham at Anfield, fans in the Kop voiced their disapproval of the coronation using explicit song lyrics.

"The club's position is my posi‐ tion," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Friday at his pre‐ match news conference. "This is definitely a subject which I cannot really have a proper opinion about. I'm from Germany, we don't have a king or a queen. I'm 55 years old, have really no expe‐ rience with that."

Royal weddings are "massive things in Germany," he added, likening it to watching a movie.

"I'm pretty sure a lot of people in this country will enjoy the coronation, some will maybe not really be interested and some will not like it," Klopp said.

Messi and PSG will talk after suspension, Galtier says

Lionel Messi and Paris Saint‐ Germain will have discussions about the Argentine player's im‐ mediate future with the club when he returns from suspen‐ sion, coach Christophe Galtier said Friday.

The World Cup champion was suspended by the club this week after he skipped practice to make a promotional trip to Saudi Ara‐ bia.

Messi is not expected to extend his contract, and there are only five games remaining this season.

Galtier was asked at a news con‐ ference if he'll be able to count on the seven‐time Ballon d'Or win‐ ner returning to the field after the suspension.