Perhaps the best rivalry in the game takes on epic proportions on Wednesday when Real Madrid faces Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Final at Estadio Mestalla in Valencia.

The two La Liga giants haven't played one another in the Final since 1990, and both clubs have been rather unsuccessful in the tournament in recent years.

Barcelona won the Cup in 2009, but it was their first time in 12 years.

The drought is even longer for Real Madrid who haven't won the Cup since 1993.

Barcelona is well aware that their rivals have conceded any hope of winning the La Liga title, so the Copa del Rey offers Real Madrid a chance to beat their most fervent opponents on a neutral surface, as well as to take home at least one piece of silverware this season.

That would be a great achievement for first-year manager Jose Mourinho, who has been the subject to a move back to the English Premier League.

The high-profile manager came to Madrid with great expectations, and has the next three games to prove his worth. After the Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid and Barcelona will play each other two more times in the Champions League semi-finals.

When the two teams faced each other on Saturday, both managed penalty kicks, resulting in a 1-1 final score at Santiago Bernabeu. There was speculation that both teams were feeling the other out, and were not too concerned with the outcome so that they can save their best effort for this Wednesday's match, and the upcoming two Champions League matches.

There will be no excuses on Wednesday. It's winner take all and both teams are generally healthy.

Manager Pep Guardiola will not deviate from his script. Barcelona has come this far by employing the greatest passing and ball-possession attack in the world, and there will be no reason to fix something that isn't broken, particularly at this point.

Guardiola's game plan is simple. Barcelona will limit the opportunity for Real Madrid to have the ball, and when the Catalans have possession, the midfield will try to find David Villa along the wing, or let Lionel Messi create shots for himself anywhere he wants it.

Real Madrid's tactics will likely be different from former matches. Cristiano Ronaldo is already known for going down easy to earn free kicks, and he will have every interest in taking it a step further on Wednesday.

The Portuguese superstar needs to earn Los Galacticos as many set pieces as possible. Real Madrid may find the back of the net at least once if they earn plenty of free kicks and corner kicks.

If Real Madrid can't score that way, then the onus will be on Mesut Ozil. The playmaking wizard is capable of threading the needle with perfect passes, and if he gets Karim Benzema and Emmanuel Adebayor involved, Real Madrid has a legitimate chance of hoisting the Cup.

Barcelona, of course, will be the favorites going into the match. Guardiola's club has amazing chemistry, as well as the best player in the world in Lionel Messi.

Wednesday's match promises to be the best of the four matches between the two clubs in the 18 day-span.

Got goosebumps yet?

Real Madrid Lionel Messi Real Madrid Lionel Messi