Barca raise ref fears in Clasico cup clash

Barcelona assistant coach Jordi Roura turned up the heat ahead of tonight’s clash with Real Madrid by questioning referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco (8pm, Sky Sports 1).

Barca host Madrid at the Nou Camp tonight in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, which is poised at 1-1 after the first leg, before the show moves to Madrid for a league fixture between the two on Saturday.

Roura pointed out that Undiano had taken charge of Barca’s only league defeat this season — when Gerard Pique was sent off in a 3-2 defeat to Real Sociedad in January – and also recalled his stewardship of the 2011 Copa del Rey final, won 1-0 by Real Madrid in extra-time.

“It is evident that with Undiano our numbers are always worse than with others,” Roura said. “And we keep in mind his permissiveness in that Copa final. But we must wish him luck. What we are concerned with is Madrid.”

For once, Jose Mourinho held his counsel. “I’d rather stick to the sporting lessons that we have received from Barcelona in the past, to not talk about referees or pressure them, to not look for cards or simulate bookings for our opponents and to play football, which they do very well.”

Barca’s star man Lionel Messi, who grabbed the winner against Sevilla to score in his 15th straight La Liga match, believes the team must keep faith in their style to prevail.

“In front of our own fans we do not have any other option than to go for a win against Real Madrid.”