Author: philip
Real Madrid Secures Copa del Rey Final Spot with Benzema’s Hat-Trick Against Barcelona
On Wednesday, Real Madrid displayed a remarkable comeback from their one-goal semi-final first leg deficit as they hammered Barcelona 4-0 at Camp Nou to reach the Copa del Rey final. Vinicius Junior started off the scoring just before the break, followed by Karim Benzema’s second-half hat-trick, leading Carlo Ancelotti’s side to progress 4-1 on aggregate.
Benzema’s impressive performance comes after scoring three goals against Real Valladolid in La Liga last weekend, where he repeated the same feat to humiliate Barcelona on their home turf. The match turned out to be a painful night for coach Xavi Hernandez in front of almost 95,000 distraught fans. With this stunning victory, Real Madrid has secured a spot in the Copa del Rey final, displaying the team’s exceptional skill and determination.
“Despite trailing their arch-rivals by 12 points in La Liga and suffering a defeat to them in the Spanish Super Cup final earlier this year, Real Madrid emerged victorious in a tense encounter to reach the Copa final for the first time since 2014. The team displayed a dominant and muscular performance, toppling the record 31-time cup winners in their own backyard. This win not only secures their place in the final, but also marks the end of a demoralizing run of three consecutive Clasico defeats. Madrid will now face Osasuna in the highly anticipated Copa final.
In the first leg, Ancelotti’s team had dominated but suffered a 1-0 defeat due to Eder Militao’s own goal. Additionally, they faced a heart-wrenching defeat in La Liga against Barcelona in March, losing in the final moments of the game. However, Madrid made a comeback in the Copa del Rey semi-final, securing a 3-0 victory against Barcelona. The margin of victory was a source of satisfaction, but midfielder Fede Valverde emphasized the importance of winning. Valverde praised Karim Benzema, who is a reference point for the team due to the goals he scores and his unwavering determination. Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto acknowledged that conceding Vinicius’ goal on the stroke of half-time dealt a significant blow, stating that they did not deserve to concede at that point and felt they had been the better team in the first half.
We missed several chances to score, and conceding a goal was a setback for our team’s morale. In the second half, the opposition scored again, which made it difficult for us to implement our game plan,” the Barcelona coach reflected.
Despite the loss, the coach remained optimistic about their chances of winning the title in the remaining weeks of the season, stating “Our team has a considerable lead in points, so this defeat will not affect our campaign. We must maintain focus and strive towards winning the league title.”
Xavi was forced to play without key players, including Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Andreas Christensen, which ultimately had an impact on the team’s performance.
The match began with a high pace and intensity, as both teams were determined to secure a spot in the final, while also avoiding elimination by the opposing team.
During a heated match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, tempers boiled over resulting in multiple yellow cards being issued, including one to Barca coach Xavi for protesting a foul. Amid ongoing speculation surrounding Lionel Messi’s potential departure from Paris Saint-Germain, thousands of Barcelona fans chanted his name in the 10th minute, hoping for a glimpse of his renowned magic on the pitch.
