A tenacious Barcelona frustrated Real Madrid to secure a 1-0 win over their bitter rivals in an ill-tempered Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at the Bernabeu on Thursday, March 3.
The visitors defended superbly after Madrid centre-back Eder Militao scored an own goal in the first half, managing to overcome the loss of key players Robert Lewandowski, Pedri and Ousmane Dembele, who all missed the game due to injuries.
It was a much-needed win for Barca after arriving in the Spanish capital under pressure, having been knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United and then losing at lowly Almeria to halt a seven-game winning streak in LaLiga.
They Had The Ball
“We would have liked to have the ball more, to control the game a little more but we fought hard and competed in a high level.
“They had the ball but didn’t create many chances.
“We got the advantage for the second leg and that’s really important,” Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets said.
Real Madrid started better and dominated the first 15 minutes, but Barcelona started to turn things around, as they took control of the midfield and their defensive game plan worked brilliantly.
Barcelona centre back Ronald Araujo did a great job at right-back to neutralise the threat of the dangerous Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema was left alone up front.
Barcelona locked Real Madrid into an even tighter situation during the second half and although the hosts dominated possession, they rarely threatened to equalise.
Madrid became frustrated and tempers flared before the hosts made the crucial mistake which gave Barca what turned out to be the winner.
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