Madrid (AFP)

After the police operation that shook FC Barcelona on Monday, the Catalan club must refocus on the athlete with a Copa del Rey semi-final return on Wednesday against Sevilla (9 p.m.) and two goals behind to hope to reach the final.

It's time to find out if this team is capable, like its illustrious predecessors, of making a success of a "comeback": 2-0 defeats in the first leg in Andalusia, the Catalans must reverse the situation at home to secure their ticket for the final scheduled for April 17 in ... Seville.

And the reaction capacity of Ronald Koeman's team will be closely scrutinized in France before the knockout stages of the Champions League against Paris SG.

After the 4-1 slap received at home on the first leg against the Parisians, the Barcelonans will also be forced to the feat.

But do they only have their heads on the field?

On Monday, an extrasport earthquake rocked the powerful Catalan club with a search of the Camp Nou offices.

Former leaders, including ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu, have been detained as part of the investigation into the "Barçagate", the scandal of slander on social networks that rocked the club in February 2020.

Bartomeu was released on bail on Tuesday morning but the investigation is continuing and the context remains heavy for the club, which would have been well without this turmoil in a pivotal period of its season.

- Koeman finds the formula -

Anyway, Barça has everything to gain in this King's Cup, an event for which it holds the record for victories (30 crownings in all) and for which it has played the last six finals: the Blaugrana club, weaned from trophies since the conquest of La Liga in 2019, must validate on the ground his recent return to form under the leadership of Koeman.

Chance of the calendar, the Catalans won Saturday in La Liga on the lawn of Sevilla FC 2-0, thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembélé and Lionel Messi.

Something to give hope to the Catalan sports press.

"Alliance for titles", posted the daily Sport à la Une Monday, ensuring that the team had "digested the disappointment of PSG" and was "convinced" that it would fight for the titles in the Cup and in La Liga.

"Barça regains its best feelings and returns to the fight for the two titles (in the Cup and in La Liga). The demonstration in Sevilla proves to Koeman's men that the comeback is possible" against Sevilla, Mundo said Deportivo.

From his immutable 4-2-3-1 to an effective 3-5-2 in recent matches, the Dutch technician seems to have found the right formula ... perhaps at the expense of Antoine Griezmann, left on the bench during victory in Seville on Saturday in the league.

Koeman will however have to juggle with the absentees to try to keep some strength for the final stretch of the season: even if Pedri, uncertain, trained with the group on Tuesday, Ronaldo Araujo, Miralem Pjanic, Sergi Roberto, Philippe Coutinho, Ansu Fati and Moussa Wagué point to the infirmary.

The other semi-final will oppose Levante on Thursday (9 p.m.) against Athletic Bilbao: nobody took the first leg advantage (1-1) and the reunion of the two teams in La Liga last Friday ended on the same parity score (1-1).

Program for the Copa del Rey semi-finals in Spain (Paris time):

Wednesday :

(9:00 p.m.) FC Barcelona - Sevilla FC (first leg: 0-2)

Thursday:

(9:00 p.m.) Levante v Athletic Bilbao (first leg: 1-1)

Final:

Saturday April 17 at 9:00 p.m. in Seville (La Cartuja stadium).

© 2021 AFP