Real Madrid and Barcelona resume their historic rivalry tonight when the two teams meet in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Spanish Cup.

The scene is the Santiago Bernabeu stadium before the return leg at Barcelona’s Nou Camp today week and at stake is the first of three prizes these two antagonists of the Spanish game are targeting this season.

With the Champions League resuming in February with both teams in the last 16 and the two locked in a battle at the top of La Liga, the season promises combat on three fronts.

In the league at the weekend the pressure was already starting to show for both teams.

Real Madrid had to come back to win 2-1 away at Mallorca with late goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon, a result that temporarily opened a gap of eight points on Barcelona in second position.

Twenty-four hours later it was Barcelona’s turn to suffer when they gave away a two-goal lead at home to Betis before running out 4-2 winners and reducing the gap back to five points.

Barcelona have already triumphed in the Bernabeu in December with a resounding 3-1 league victory.

On that occasion, Cristiano Ronaldo was criticised for his performance and despite scoring the winning goal in last season’s Spanish Cup final between the two sides, his tally of three goals in 11 games against Barca is subject to debate.

It does not compare favourably with Lionel Messi’s total of 13 strikes against Real and a good display from the Portuguese will be key to Real’s chances today.

“Before matches I am relaxed, pressure means nothing to me and I don’t feel any more against Barca,” Ronaldo said.