Real Madrid were back to their destructive best on Wednesday evening, as they brushed aside Barcelona to reach the Copa del Rey final, winning 4-0 on the night (4-1 on aggregate).
Barcelona had the better of the play in the first half, but it counted for nothing when Vinicius Jr opened the scoring right on half time with the close-range finish. His strike was blocked by Jules Kounde, by the ball creeped over the line before Karim Benzema made sure anyway.
Benzema added Real Madrid’s second just after the half time break. Barcelona afforded him too much time in their half, and he placed a lovely strike from the edge of the box into Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s bottom corner, after being set up by Luka Modric.
Benzema added his second and Real Madrid’s third shortly after from the penalty spot, after Vinicius was fouled by Franck Kessie, and Benzema completed his hat-trick with 10 minutes remaining after sliding the ball past Ter Stegen from inside the box.
Real Madrid will face Osasuna in the final of the Copa del Rey, as they look to win the competition for the first time since 2014. Their performance also bodes well for their Champions League ventures, which resume next week against Chelsea.
Barcelona must now settle for winning a maximum of two trophies this season. Xavi Hernandez will be desperate for his side to not let this result affect them too much, as they continue their charge towards the La Liga title.
Image via Siu Wu/EFE