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| Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed Barcelona 4-0 at the Nou Camp. PC Sky News |
In a stunning turn of events, Real Madrid thrashed their arch-rivals Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday, thanks to a hat-trick by Karim Benzema. Barcelona, who were bidding for a fourth successive Clasico victory, looked set for the final after winning the first leg of the semi-final in Madrid last month.
Real Madrid, however, had other plans, and after dominating the early stages of the second leg, they turned the tie on its head. Vinicius Jr gave Real the lead in first-half stoppage time following a lightning counter-attack, and Benzema became the first Real player to score a hat-trick in a Clasico at the Nou Camp since Ferenc Puskas in 1963.
Real Madrid will now face Osasuna in the final, and they will be confident of winning the trophy for the 20th time. Meanwhile, Barcelona will be licking their wounds after suffering their worst defeat against their bitter rivals since 1995.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was full of praise for his team after the match. “It was a complete match. If you don’t make it complete, you can’t win 0-4 here. We mixed the energy of Rodrygo, Valverde and Camavinga with the experience of Vini, Modric, Kroos. They played a spectacular game.”
The match was filled with drama, as players from both sides got involved in skirmishes. Xavi, the Barcelona coach, was disappointed with the result but admitted that Real Madrid deserved to win. “We’re hurt today, yes. It will be hard to sleep, more so as the big Barca fan that I am. I told the players (this could happen), we had chances but went in at 1-0. It’s a shame because we competed well in the first half and that was our moment. In the second Madrid were better, sincerely, they were better physically, they pressed us high. There are no excuses.”
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