Probably the biggest match of the planet. It just doesn't get better than this. Real Madrid vs Barcelona is a rivalry that certainly stretches back to a few years. And it has just become more fierce over the years. There is a definite amount of pride that is associated with this fixture. They have met once in La Liga this season. And it ended 5-1 in favor of hosts Barcelona. In the aftermath of this loss, Real Madrid sacked Julen Lopetegui. And this was going to be the second leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-final tie between the two sides.
There was nothing separating the sides at Camp Nou as the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Lucas Vazquez goal gave the early advantage to the visitors before Malcolm canceled the lead at the hour mark. Barcelona has been dominating this particular tournament since 2015 and there was simply no stopping them this time around too. They were the better side for much of the game. Luis Suarez scored a brace before Raphael Varane found the back of his own net in the 69th-minute. The winner of the match between Real Betis and Valencia will play Barcelona in the final.
With Barcelona again getting the better of Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey, here are four talking points from the game:
Suarez is still there among the best in the business: You just cannot expect what's coming your way if Luis Suarez is on the field. He will be running randomly across the field, having those wayward shots from distance. And just when you think that his best years are behind him. He kills you! And the same was the scenario in this game too. He went missing in the first half that saw Real being the more dominating side. But just when the first real opportunity came his way. He converted it before forcing Varane to an own goal for the second. And for the third, he won the penalty and also scored to mark the occasion with a brace. He has scored 10 in 13 appearances against Los Blancos since signing for Barcelona. Even Messi cannot match these numbers in this time frame.
Dembele is finding his feet again: Ousmane Dembele is one of those players who can turn the tie to your favour at any instant given that he is 100% fit. Just as he was starting to show why Barcelona shelled out a hefty sum of £147 million dollars for his services, he fell injured again. And the ankle sprain kept him out for almost one month straight. It's always difficult to return to that level after a month's break. But the French Winger is starting to find his feet again. This is just the news that the Cules will be dying to hear. After a poor first-half outing, he came out all guns blazing in the second half, creating the first two Barcelona goals.
Finishing remains a doubt for young Vinicius Junior: Who better than Barcelona know about the pace of Vinicius Junior? He carried his form from the first leg into this match too. He gave a hard time to Nelson Semedo, who was looking to nullify the attacks from the left side. The 18-year-old winger has no fear and loves to run at defenders, beating them with his pace and trickery. He tore into Barcelona's backline time and again. He was on the heart of every big opportunity that Real Madrid created. But he missed two-three great opportunities which include an effort from close-range as well. He is young and has plenty of time to master the art of finishing coolly.
Real have something to look forward to: This was the first of the two El-Clasicos in four days time. The teams will be up against each other in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. It's fair to say that Real Madrid's pride has been stung, not only by the scoreline but more by Suarez's impudent Panenka penalty. And what’s better than giving it all back within four days? Solari's men find themselves nine points behind the leaders Barcelona and anything but a victory would see them being kicked out of both the title race as well as the Copa Del Rey. It will be interesting to see how they respond to this loss.
A game of missed chances for Real Madrid saw them being knocked out by their fierce rivals in the worst possible manner. It will be interesting to see how they respond on Saturday!
