Barcelona are heading into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey with a 1-0 advantage over Real Madrid. The high-stakes El Clasico tie is at its halfway point, with the second leg set to take place a few weeks down the line.
The Catalonian side brought their impenetrable defence to the Santiago Bernabeu, not allowing the hosts a single shot on target. The only goal of the game was an own goal from Eder Militao, as Barcelona picked up the advantage in spite of having several injuries in their squad.
Copa del Rey semifinal El ClĂ¡sico – Key takeaways
Real Madrid’s performance was substandard even though they had all their regulars in the starting line-up. Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema were both unable to make any difference in the game, as their rivals didn’t make much of an impact either.
Los Blancos had the most possession during the game, but were unable to make anything of it. Being without Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski due to injury, Barcelona were not able to do anything special in offence either.
Ronald Araujo, however, was the standout performer for Xavi Hernandez’s side. He moved to right-back to deal with Vinicius Jr, and managed to keep the Brazilian quiet for the entire game. Vinicius has torn through defences this entire season, especially against Liverpool in their previous Champions League match.
But with the Uruguayan breathing down his neck, he was neutralised completely. Moreover, Carlo Ancelotti has been unable to defeat Xavi in their last four El Clasico meetings in a rather poor run. A draw or loss in the return leg could mean a second trophy won for Barca, while another lost for Real Madrid this time.
