Real Madrid 0-1 Barcelona: Eder Militao own goal gives Barca the advantage in Copa del Rey semi-final

Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1-0 in a fiery Copa del Rey first leg semi-final.

The hosts started El Clasico as the better team but it was Xavi’s men who scored with it going down as an Eder Militao own goal.

Barca pounced on a bad touch and Franck Kessie’s shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois, yet the stop ended up hitting the Brazilian centre-back and rolling over the line.

Real Madrid pushed hard to level up the tie in the second half but struggled to create a clear cut chance with the visitors defending excellently, restricting them throughout the second half by sitting deep.

The best chance fell to Barca on the break, Kessie was left shocked as his goal-bound shot was blocked by his own man Ansu Fati.

The second leg at the Nou Camp is on April 5 with the winner set to play Osasuna or Athletic Bilbao in the final.

TALKING POINT – A NEW BARCA

Gone are the Pep Guardiola or Luis Enrique days of Barcelona, where it was possession football versus anybody. This is Xavi’s team that have a different way of doing things when necessary. Barcelona camped on the edge of their own box for much of the game and defended fantastically. Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde and Marcos Alonso were disciplined and organised and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen commanded his box so well.

Xavi’s tactics were spot on as in the end, Barca had the best chances of the game and Kessie couldn’t believe he didn’t net an El Clasico brace.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – RONALD ARAUJO

Ronald Araujo was fantastic playing a half right-back, half centre-back role. He was physical with Vinicius Junior and didn’t let the talented winger leave his sight. He dropped into the box and headed many crosses away late in the game.

PLAYER RATINGS

Real Madrid: Courtois 5, Carvajal 5, Militao 4, Rudiger 7, Nacho 5, Camavinga 4, Kroos 5, Modric 6, Valverde 5, Vinicius 6, Benzema 6.

Subs: Rodrygo 6, Tchouameni 6, Rodriguez 6.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen 8, Araujo 8, Kounde 8, Alonso 7, Balde 6, Busquets 5, Kessie 7, De Jong 6, Gavi 6, Raphinha 6, Torres 7.

Subs: Fati 6, Roberto 6.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

13’ – GOAL RULED OUT (BENZEMA) – The press from Real Madrid is superb and they win it back tackling Kessie on the half-way line. The break forward, Modric to Vinicus, and the winger clips it up to the back sitck. Benzema chests it then acrobatically volleys it home, but the striker was offside – still though, what a finish that was.

27′ – GOAL (MILITAO O.G) – A great counter by Barca, their first attack ends in a goal. It’s not a beautiful goal but it is a big one. Torres slides it into Kessie, his shot is saved and bounces off Militao and rolls to the line and Nacho miskicks his clearance on the line and can’t stop it going in. VAR check the goal but Kessie was onside.

73′ – CHANCE (KESSIE) – Barca break and it is pulled back to Kessie just inside the box. He hits a great shot and it’s going in to the bottom corner, however, it hits Fati, who tried to turn it home and not jump over it, and the ball goes wide. Kessie looks to the heavens. It was going in 100%.

KEY STAT

Real Madrid registered their highest possession tally in El Clasico (64.7%) in all competitions since 2013/14 season, with Barcelona registering their lowest tally in this period in any game from any competition (35.3%).