Ender Militau’s own goal gave Barcelona a 1–0 victory in the first semi-final of the Copa del Rey. The Catalans played in defense for 90 minutes and kept the Spanish champions without a proper finish in El Clásico.
Barcelona succeeded in scoring a goal at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, thanks to Ender Militao’s victory 1-0 from Real and took the first step towards qualifying for the Copa del Rey final.
The third Clasico of the season saw the Blaugrana mainly defend and eventually win against the Merengues who weren’t on target and will be looking for a turnaround at the Camp Nou on April 5.
Finally, Carlo Ancelotti was at the disposal of Eduardo Camavinga, who took over the left-back position in place of the injured David Alaba. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were in midfield as Federico Valverde moved to the right of attack in place of the injured Rodrygo. Xavi covered his problems in a different way. Gavi played a false role in the ninth in place of Robert Lewandowski, while Frank Kessier provided more defensive assistance than Pedri.
The match started with two offsides that saved Barcelona. With the cross, Modric found himself in the area, but shot wide, and a little later Karim Benzema stopped him and smashed the ball into the net. Neither phase was born, but the Meringue kept pressing high and causing problems with the Catalans’ ball-handling.
When the latter did the same in the 26th minute, it was justified that, having robbed Keyser, he played 1-2 and was probably beaten by Thibaut Courtois in the 44th, but facing ender Militao led to an own goal and 1-0.
The goal increased the resentment of the Real Madrid players, especially Vinicius, who had previously been involved in a fight and received a yellow card. The minutes remaining until the interval were more intense than stages and inspirations, as the referee at the final whistle found both teams in a “red” position.
The two coaches did not make any changes at the break, and in the second half, Real had complete control for almost a quarter. The ball didn’t leave Barcelona, but the Spanish champions couldn’t find a way to score Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s goal with a clear chance.
Changes began in the middle of the second half, as Ancelotti dropped half-time Rodrigo and Xavi dropped Ansu Fati. The guests gained their lungs to come out more times on the counterattack, but they remained on their field, prioritizing defense rather than attack.
Real Madrid did not succeed in scoring an effective final, and its biggest moment was Rodrigo’s shot in the 89th minute, which ended next to Ter Stegen’s goal. Ancelotti’s side did not threaten at any point in the game, and with their 16th defeat in their last 33 derbies at the Bernabéu, the team will try to do better at the Camp Nou on April 5.
- TRUE: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Ridiger, Nacho (69′ Rodrigo), Camavinga, Kroos (Tsoameni 74), Modric (84 Rodriguez), Valverde, Vinicius, Benzema.
- BarcelonaTer Stegen, Coute, Araujo, Alonso, Balde, Kessier (86′ Roberto), De Jong, Busquets, Torres, Gavi, Rafinha (69′ Fati)
Semi-final results
The first games
- Osasuna – Athletic 1-0 (47 Ezz Al-Zouli)
- Real – Barcelona 0-1 (26 ‘auto.militao)
The second matches
- 04/04 23:00 Athletic – Osasuna
- 05/04 23:00 Barcelona – Real
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