Barça B and Madrid Castilla set to meet after 14 years

After 14 years, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona’s reserve sides will face off at Madrid’s Ciudad Deportiva (21.00). The last time the two teams played against each other was in the 1997/98 season when both teams were battling for a promotion spot to Spain’s Second Division A. Josep Maria Gonzalvo’s side thumbed Real Madrid 5-0 at the Miniestadi and clinched qualification to Second Division A a week later at the Santiago Bernabéu when the Catalans won 0-2.

Curiously enough, two players from FC Barcelona’s first team, Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernández, were part of the reserve side that season. Other known footballers like Luis García, Gabri, Jofre, Ferrón and Francesc Arnau, all of whom have had distinguished careers, featured alongside Barça’s two first team captains in the reserve side that season.

Both Barça B and Real Madrid Castilla lost last weekend, but both teams gave clear signs of their quality. Especially Barça B, the team led by Eusebio Sacristán scored four goals in their defeat to Almería.