Mourinho: 50-50 for Copa del Rey

Both Spanish giants have a chance of winning their first piece of silverware for the season when they lock horns on Wednesday evening, and the wily Portuguese tactician believes the manner of cup finals means there are no clear favourites.

"I don't want to say anything out of the ordinary because there is never a favourite in a final," Mourinho said on Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

"Both teams have the same chance of winning."

"I hope we see a nice match and that everything in the stands and on the street goes down without incident."

Mourinho concedes his comments may seem boring ahead of an highly-anticipated match, but it is his experience in previous finals that makes him believe both sides have an equal chance of winning.

"These are typical words before a final, but I truly believe them."

"I have played in many finals against teams that have been either inferior or stronger than mine, but they have all been evenly balanced."

"That is the natural tendency of finals."

Despite the final being a real chance for Mourinho to bring silverware back to the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time since their 2007-08 La Liga triumph, the Real coach insists he is unfazed by the occasion.

"This is my first final with Real Madrid, but I am relaxed."

"I have experienced many matches like this one, which is why I am a lot more calm than a coach who has never been here before."

Mourinho also believes his team have worked hard this season, and winning trophies will be the best possible way to prove how far they have come this year.

"Our confidence lies in our hard work to reach success in the form of titles."

"If we win, great. If we don't, we will continue working."

In the immediate aftermath of last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Barca in La Liga, Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano launched a stinging attack on Mourinho and the tactics he employed in that match.

However, Mourinho reveals he has not been affected by Di Stefano's less-than-complimentary appraisal.

"He [Di Stefano] is one of the most significant people in the history of Real Madrid, and I am nothing in the history of Real Madrid."

"But I am the coach and the coach is the one who decides."

"I am the coach," he repeated. "What do you want to do? It's me. The decisions are mine."

Perhaps deviating slightly away from his normal secretive self, Mourinho was also willing to reveal his tactics for Wednesday's final.

"[We will play with] four on the back line, three midfielders and three forwards."

"We want to attack and score when we have the ball, while without it we must defend like a team."

"It implies that the entire team must be active in both facets."

Mourinho has revealed the 19-man squad he will be bringing to Valencia for the game, and with no notable absentees, apart from Lassana Diarra and Fernando Gago, he will be looking to go all out to win his first piece of silverware at Real.

Squad: Iker Casillas, Antonio Adan, Jerzy Dudek, Ezequiel Garay, Sergio Ramos, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria, Sami Khedira, Esteban Granero, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema