Sid Lowe’s match report has arrived, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight.
Master at work
You cannot give Benzema that kind of space in front of goal!! 🙌
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 5, 2023
The Real Madrid captain puts his side in the lead in this two-legged tie with this gorgeous finish! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BNfFGY5O0j
And there's the hat trick!! ⚽️⚽️⚽️
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 5, 2023
Karim Benzema bags his third of the night and Real Madrid's fourth as they run riot over Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou! 👀 pic.twitter.com/dWykmsMRHR
Updated
Full time: Barcelona 0-4 Real Madrid (agg: 1-4)
That’s it! Real Madrid are through to their first Copa del Rey in nine years after humiliating Barcelona. The tie turned on a 20-second period just before half time, when Thibaut Courtois saved brilliantly from Robert Lewandowski and then Vinicius Jr. scored on the break.
That brought Madrid level on aggregate, and in the second half they picked Barcelona off with contemptuous ease. Karim Benzema, aided and abetted by Vinicius, scored a masterful hat-trick to secure a date with Osasuna in the final.
90+1 min Three minutes of added time.
90 min Courtois makes a comfortable save from Sergi Roberto’s header.
89 min: Madrid substitution Nacho replaces Karim Benzema, who made the first goal, scored the other three but otherwise had a quiet night.
88 min This is getting a bit pathetic now. Militao is booked for a late tackle on Fati, who rolls over multiple times.
87 min: Madrid substitution Ceballos and Tchouameni replace Modric and Vinicius Jr.
Updated
86 min In fact, Alaba and Balde were both booked.
85 min Someone else has been booked. It’s chaos out there, with Alaba and Balde the latest pair to have a row.
84 min Vinicius has words with Araujo, who shoves him over. Kroos and Courtois come over to get Vinicius out of trouble – he’s about to be subbed – and now Benzema is getting involved as well.
83 min Fati’s looping header is easily saved by Courtois.
82 min Vinicius and Benzema have been majestic, but this has been a diabolical second-half performance from Barcelona. It took just one fairly straightforward pass out of defence from Camavinga for Real to have a three-on-two break there.
Updated
It was another devastating counter-attack from Real, led by the marvellous Vinicius. Again it was three on two, but this time Vinicius played in Benzema, who lifted the ball delicately over ter Stegen.
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 0-4 Real Madrid (agg: 1-4; Benzema 81)
He’s got his hat-trick this time!
78 min: Fine save by ter Stegen! Barcelona have gone to pieces. Vinicius breaks menacingly, one of three Real attackers against two Barcelona defenders, and plays in Asensio. He sweeps a first-time shot back across goal and ter Stegen gets down to his right to push it wide. That’s an extremely good save.
77 min: Chance for Real! Benzema misses a terrific chance to complete his hat-trick. Asensio’s cross was missed by Kounde, who slipped, and ran through to Benzema. He controlled it deftly, watched the bounce and then cracked a shot just wide from 12 yards.
76 min Torres is booked for a late tackle on Vinicius.
74 min: Real Madrid substitution Marco Asensio is on for Rodrygo.
74 min A lighter has been thrown onto the field, among other things, and the referee has asked for an announcement to be made over the tannoy.
73 min There’s a break in play while Militao receives treatment. The Barcelona fans think he’s trying it on.
71 min Carvajal is booked for a cynical foul on Balde.
70 min Vinicius leaves Torres in a heap, then gets flattened himself by Araujo. The referee doesn’t penalise either challenge.
67 min Militao punches the air after making a vital block from Balde’s close-range shot. It’s a really open game now.
66 min: Barcelona substitution Ferran Torres and Eric Garcia replace Marcos Alonso and Raphinha.
63 min: Barcelona substitution Ansu Fati replaces Kessie.
62 min I was going to say it’s been a peculiar game, but actually we’ve seen Madrid do this multiple times in the last couple of years.
Updated
60 min And that should have been 4-0! Madrid cut Barcelona open, with Modric’s low cross just evading Rodrygo in front of an open goal.
It was a good penalty, calmly sidefooted to the right as ter Stegen dived the other way. Real Madrid, who barely turned up for the first 45 minutes, have now scored three goals in 15 minutes!
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 0-3 Real Madrid (agg: 1-3; Benzema 58 pen)
Benzema scores!
58 min Vinicius made the most of it but Kessie gave him the opportunity by dangling his leg unnecessarily.
PENALTY TO REAL MADRID!
57 min Kessie commits a needless foul on Vinicius, who was going nowhere, and now Madrid have the chance to go 3-1 up on aggregate.
56 min Araujo wins a loose ball on the edge of the Madrid area, turns inside Valverde and pokes a shot that drifts a few yards wide of the far post. I thought it took a deflection off Alaba but a goalkick has been given. Either way, Barcelona are creating chances now.
54 min Barcelona are having an excellent spell. Raphinha runs onto a routine header forward, then smashes wide from a tight angle with his right foot.
54 min Raphinha’s corner is flicked on dangerously by Araujo, but there’s nobody at the far post to take advantagea.
53 min The first goal has been credited to Vinicius Jr by the way, so he and Benzema have a goal apiecee.
52 min A stinging shot from Balde is beaten away by Courtois, falling to his left. It was a fairly comfortable save, certainly when compared to the one from Lewandowski just before half-time.
It was expertly taken by Benzema. Modric danced infield from the right, towards the edge of the area, and squared the ball to the unmarked Benzema. He walked onto the ball and simply passed it into the far corner from 18 yards. That’s a high-class finish. A word too for Rodrygo, whose off-the-ball run created all kinds of space for Benzema.
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 0-2 Real Madrid (agg: 1-2; Benzema 50)
And now Real Madrid are in front in the tie!
47 min Vinicius beats Araujo with a majestic bodyswerve on the left edge of the area, but then his ball into the six-yard box is cut out by Kounde.
Updated
46 min Peep peep! Barcelona begin the second half, probably still trying to understand why the aggregate score is 1-1 rather than 2-0.
Half-time reading
Half time: Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid (agg: 1-1)
Well that livened things up. Until then, the game had been fractious and uneventful. With the aggregate score now level, the second half should be a whole lot livelier.
Was it Vinicius or Benzema? 🤔
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 5, 2023
Real Madrid won't care who! Los Blancos go into the break 1-0 up at the Spotify Camp Nou!! ⚪️🟣 pic.twitter.com/NGj3lTznBS
Updated
Courtois made a very smart reaction save, low to his right, to keep out a snap volley from Lewandowski. Madrid broke devastatingly, with Vinicius Jr playing a one-two with Benzema before flicking the ball nonchalantly past ter Stegen. Kounde made a partial stop, but the ball was trickling over the line when Benzema made sure. I think it’s his goal, though Vinicius Jr’s shot may have already crossed the line. (Update: it’s been credited to Vinicius Jr.)
Updated
GOAL! Barcelona 0-1 Madrid (agg: 1-1; Vinicius Jr. 45+1)
Thibaut Courtois makes a fantastic save, and within 20 seconds Madrid are in front!
Updated
43 min Modric fouls Raphinha and is then shoved by Kessie. Some of the players are in a foul mood tonight.
42 min The foul count, interestingly, is Barcelona 11-2 Madrid.
40 min Possessionwatch: Barcelona 61-39 Madrid.
39 min This isn’t a classic, I won’t lie to you.
37 min An extended spell of possession for Madrid, probably their longest of the game, ends when Alaba hoofs the ball straight through to ter Stegen. A triumph.
35 min Lewandowski needs treatment after being flattened from behind, I think by Militao. He’s okay to continue.
Updated
34 min “Cheers for the bar suggestion, really appreciate that,” says Simon McMahon. “We’ve decided just to follow the MBM and are in the Meson del Champignon for beer, sangria and mushrooms. And offering the locals tips on how to beat Barca.”
33 min After a scintillating run infield, Balde’s cutback is crucially intercepted at the near post. At the other end, Benzema’s volley from a very tight angle is comfortably saved by ter Stegen.
Updated
32 min Vinicius Jr waves an imaginary card after being fouled.
Updated
30 min Balde’s cross is cleared as far as Busquets, 30 yards from goal. He slides a through ball towards Lewandowski – but Raphinha thinks it’s for him and controls it on the edge of the area.
30 min Players on both sides are going down with increasing ease, and a half that started promisingly has become bitty and fractious.
29 min “Gavi’s very good but also very annoying and gets away with far too much, maybe because he’s small,” says Gene Salorio. “I’m not generally a fan of thugs, except for my beloved Sergio Ramos, but I’d applaud Gavi meeting up with a Claudio Gentile-Billy Bremner style reducer or two.”
26 min Gavi, who has been spoiling for aggro since the start of the game, goes head to head with Vinicius Jr. Both players are booked.
Updated
25 min Moments later, Carvajal’s imaginative pass from the right just evades the stretching Rodrygo in front of goal.
24 min Vinicius Jr’s cross is punched away by ter Stegen to the edge of the area, where the backpedalling Modric mistimes a volley into the ground.
23 min It’s been a disjointed attacking performance so far from Madrid, with Benzema peripheral. Barcelona are doing most things just a little bit better; they’re also playing with greater intensity.
19 min Sergi Roberto’s crossfield pass is stylishly controlled by the stretching Raphinha, but then he runs into trouble. Barcelona’s wide forwards, Gavi and Raphinha, have been lively.
18 min Barcelona have been the better team so far, though there isn’t a huge amount in it.
16 min Xavi is booked for giving the referee a mouthful.
Updated
14 min Balde curls a nice cross towards Raphinha, who heads straight at Courtois from about 15 yards. It was a decent effort, but he’s no Steve Nicol.
12 min Valverde plays a superb pass to release Rodrygo on the right. He slides an even better ball across the six-yard box towards Vinicius, who is about to score when Araujo slides in to make a fantastic interception. Great defending.
Updated
11 min Sergi Roberto is booked for a cynical foul on Modric.
10 min Madrid have started very sluggishly. A mistake from Valverde allows Barcelona to break again, and after some quickfire passing Sergi Roberto has a shot blocked by the stretching Alaba in the six-yard box.
Updated
8 min Camavinga is limping heavily, though I think he’s going to continue for now.
6 min Barcelona have made a flying start. Raphinha robs Camavinga high up the field and gives the ball to Lewandowski just inside the area. He makes room for a shot that hits Militao and goes behind for a corner.
4 min Madrid have reverted to 4-3-3 by the way, with Fede Valverde in midfield.
3 min Gavi appeals furiously for a penalty when his cross hits the body of the falling Alaba. It definitely hit his arm, though he was on his way down so … what’s the law these days? Either way, it hasn’t been given.
Updated
2 min Balde charges to the edge of the area and flicks the ball outside to Gavi. He slides a really dangerous low cross towards Raphinha in the six-yhard box, but Camavinga does brilliantly to get in front of him and clear.
1 min Peep peep! Real Madrid kick off from right to left as we watch.
The two captains, Sergio Busquets and Karim Benzema, are all smiles as they embrace in the centre circle. It’s almost time for business.
The small print
There’s no away-goals rule in the Copa del Rey. So if Madrid win, say, 2-1, the tie will go to extra-time.
Help!!!!
“For some strange reason I’m in Madrid tonight,” says Simon McMahon. “Near Plaza Mayor. Any locals following the MBM recommend a taberna to watch the game..?”
Updated
Pre-match listening
So, Barcelona make four changes from their win at Elche on Saturday: Raphinha, Franck Kessie, Sergio Busquets and Alejandro Balde replace Ansu Fati, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba and Ferran Torres.
Eduardo Camavinga continues at left-back for Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti has made three changes from the side that smashed Valladolid on Sunday: Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal and Fede Valverde come in for Aurelien Tchouameni, Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio.
Barcelona (possible 4-3-3) ter Stegen; Araujo, Kounde, Alonso, Balde; Kessie, Busquets, Sergi Roberto; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi.
Substitutes: Ansu Fati, Torres, Pena, Alba, Garcia, Casado, Torre, Tenas, Alarcon, Estanis, Garrido.
Real Madrid (possible 4-3-3) Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Camavinga; Valverde, Kroos, Modric; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
Substitutes: Lunin, Luis Lopez, Vallejo, Nacho, Hazard, Asensio, Odriozola, Lucas V, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Rudiger, Mariano.
Updated
Team news
🚨 BARÇA XI 🚨#ElClásico pic.twitter.com/kwEmaeLz84
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 5, 2023
📋✅ Our starting 𝗫𝗜 🆚 @FCBarcelona! #ElClásico | #CopaDelRey pic.twitter.com/9sQDpfI6UP
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 5, 2023
Preamble
Monsieur, with these clásicos you’re really spoiling us. Yep, for the fifth time this season and the fourth this year, we have the pleasure of watching Barcelona v Real Madrid. Tonight’s game is the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, with Barcelona 1-0 up after last month’s first leg in Madrid. They’ve had the wood on Real lately, winning four of the last five games, including a title-clinching victory here a couple of weeks ago.
Madrid haven’t reached a Copa del Rey final since 2014, when Gareth Bale scored a remarkable winner against Barcelona at the Mestalla. Barcelona have won the competition five times since then and a record 31 times overall.
Tonight’s winners will play Osasuna in Seville on 6 May; they saw off Athletic Bilbao last night thanks to Pablo Ibanez’s fairytale goal. They will be no fairytales tonight, just another hard-boiled clásico.
Kick off 9pm in Barcelona, 8pm in London.
IT'S IBANEZ! 💥
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 4, 2023
Osasuna find a brilliant late goal ✨
Fantastic strike 👏 pic.twitter.com/5Y04MiBoEw
