Karim Benzema scored a hat trick as Actual Madrid beat Barcelona 4-0 within the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal in a fiery affair at Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.
The hosts got here into the match with a three-game win streak over their largest rivals, having crushed them within the Spanish Supercopa in January and the Copa del Rey first leg and LaLiga in March.
Nevertheless, a late first-half objective from Vinicius Junior and a second-half hat trick by Benzema put Madrid on observe for the 4-1 combination win and a date with Osasuna within the Copa del Rey last.
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Barca regarded set to their dominance for a lot of the primary half, however a Thibaut Courtois save on one finish led to a quick-hitting counterattack on the shut of the opening 45 minutes, which completed with Vinicius flicking the ball previous Marc-Andre ter Stegen to stage the tie on combination simply earlier than the break.
“It is the primary time for me with Madrid, very blissful to achieve a last,” Courtois mentioned after the match. “It was a tough highway. We went away to Villarreal, performed Atletico at dwelling after which a semifinal with Barca. We’re there and we have received, we’re blissful to play one other last.
“We saved taking part in as we had been taking part in [in the first half]. Within the Supercopa we did not play nicely. At dwelling within the cup, within the league we may have received. We had confidence, and at present we completed nicely, above all in the beginning of the second half, making it 2-0, then the penalty after which ending with the fourth, it was nice.
“For positive, we have misplaced video games in opposition to them too. You need to win a Clasico, and giving the picture of a 4-0 right here is necessary; we’re blissful.”
Benzema scored from open play quickly after the restart after which prolonged Madrid’s second-leg result in three from the spot after Franck Kessie was whistled for a foul on Vinicius within the space.
With time operating out for Xavi Hernandez’s aspect, Benzema netted his third of the sport after Vinicius performed him into the realm with a intelligent go and left the France striker with solely Ter Stegen to beat.
The hat trick was Benzema’s ninth since shifting to the Santiago Bernabeu and the primary by a Actual Madrid participant at Camp Nou since Ferenc Puskas scored one there in 1963.
After struggling by the hands of Barcelona this season, it was a spectacular riposte by Carlo Ancelotti’s aspect as Actual beat Barca by no less than a four-goal margin for the primary time since 1995.
“It was a whole match. When you do not make it full, you possibly can’t win 4-0 right here,” Ancelotti mentioned. “Within the first half we had difficulties however the first objective adjustments the dynamics of the entire match.
“It is a recreation during which persona and expertise is a vital side. We combined the vitality of Rodrygo, [Federico] Valverde and [Eduardo] Camavinga with the expertise of Vini, [Luka] Modric, [Toni] Kroos. They performed a spectacular recreation.”
Regardless of the Copa del Rey loss, Barcelona are 12 factors away from Madrid in LaLiga with 11 video games to play as they search their first title in Spain’s prime flight for the reason that 2018-19 season.