VALENCIA (Spain): A week ago, Barcelona still had a chance of repeating the historic treble of 2009 but defeats in Europe and La Liga mean Wednesday’s Copa del Rey final at the Mestalla against Real Madrid may be their only hope of major silverware this season.

A wounded Barca travel to Valencia to meet their arch-rivals after crashing out of the Champions League to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and suffering a shock 1-0 reverse at Granada in La Liga three days later that left them four points behind leaders Atletico with five games to play.

Real, by contrast, are on a high after joining Atletico in the last four of Europe’s elite club competition and climbing above Barca into second in La Liga, three points off the top, thanks to Saturday’s 4-0 drubbing of Almeria.

Real, however, will be without the injured World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

For many Real fans, Ronaldo’s most memorable goal was his extra-time header at Mestalla to edge Barcelona 1-0 in the 2011 Copa del Rey final.

Real now return to the same ground in a rematch but must do so without their Ballon d’Or winner.

Ronaldo has missed Real’s last three games due to a hamstring injury suffered in his side’s 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago.

That means the weight of Real’s attack falls to Gareth Bale, the Wales winger Real broke their own spending record on last year.

“We will be missing a player with incredible quality,’’ Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “But the team can play well. It will motivate the rest.”

Barca have enjoyed the upper hand in the two meetings between the sides this season in La Liga as they followed up a 2-1 win at the Camp Nou in October with a stunning 4-3 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu just over three weeks ago.

However, the Catalans have endured a difficult week as they were firstly dumped out of the Champions League before the semi-final stage for the first time in seven years by Atletico.

Talismanic Argentina captain Lionel Messi has gone off the boil just when Barca needed his sublime skills the most, while Brazil forward Neymar has blown hot and cold since his high-profile move from Santos in the close season.

“It’s clear that the Cup is fundamental for us,” sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, who has been widely criticised for not bringing in sufficient squad reinforcements, said on Spanish radio on Sunday.

Zubizarreta defended Messi, who has been accused of not putting in 100 percent effort for Barca so he is fresher for the World Cup finals starting in June.

“There is nothing wrong with him [Messi],” Zubizarreta said.

“He is fine with the club and with his team mates. His problem is that he has set the bar so high for himself,” added the former Barca and Spain goalkeeper.

Wednesday’s match features two teams whose focus is on attack and it should be an open, entertaining spectacle between the world’s two richest clubs by income.

It will be their 34th meeting in the Spanish Cup since they first clashed in May 1902. Barca have won 15, including a 3-1 success in that first game, drawn seven and lost 11.—Agencies