Karim Benzema scored a hattrick to help Real Madrid produce one of the most comfortable football scores of the weekend in the Copa del Rey. Barcelona, who were aiming for a fourth consecutive Clasico victory this season, appeared to be on course for the final after a 1-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final at the Bernabeu last month. However, despite dominating the early stages of the second leg, they came apart in an unexpected manner, losing 4-1 on aggregate. Following a quick counter-attack, Vinicius Junior gave Real the lead in first-half stoppage time, and the semi-final was turned on its head five minutes later when Benzema stroked a shot into the corner from a Luka Modric pass.
Vinicius was tripped in the area eight minutes later, and Benzema hammered his penalties past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Barcelona tried to retaliate to the jeers ringing around the Nou Camp, but it was Real Madrid who appeared to be the more likely to add to their tally, with Benzema unstoppable. Vinicius put him up again in the 80th minute to complete his second hat-trick in as many days, having earlier scored a treble in Real Valladolid’s 6-0 demolition. After defeating Athletic Bilbao 2-1 on aggregate on Tuesday, Real will like their chances of lifting the trophy for the 20th time when they meet Osasuna in the final on May 6.
“It was a perfect match. You can’t win 0-4 if you don’t finish the game. We had difficulty in the first half, but the first goal changes the dynamics of the entire game,” Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “It’s a game in which personality and experience are extremely vital. We combined Rodrygo, Valverde, and Camavinga’s energy with Vini, Modric, and Kroos’ expertise. They had a fantastic game.”
“Congratulations to Real Madrid on a fantastic second-half performance. If you show mercy to Madrid, they will not show you mercy,” Barcelona boss Xavi said. “It will be difficult to sleep because I am from Barcelona, as are many of the players. On Thursday, though, we consider Girona.”
Barcelona returns to La Liga play on Monday, hosting Girona at the Nou Camp at 8 p.m. With 11 games remaining in the season, Xavi Hernandez’s side is presently 12 points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the table. Real Madrid’s next match is against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday at 8 p.m. Carlo Ancelotti’s team has the opportunity to narrow the gap to eight points before Barcelona plays two days later.
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