Real Madrid swept its rival and host Barcelona 4-0, including a "hat-trick" for French star Karim Benzema on Wednesday, to qualify the royal team to the final of the Spanish Cup in football, after losing 1-0 in the semi-final first leg.
Brazilian Vinicius Junior opened the scoring in the 45 + 1 minute with an assist from Benzema, before the latter scored a hat-trick in the 50th and 58th minutes from a penalty kick and 80.
It is the second hat-trick in a row for the French striker after the first in the hexagonal victory over Valladolid 6-0 on Sunday in the league competitions, and the sixteenth goal of Benzema in the “El Clasico”.
"It was important to win, then the big margin satisfies us, but the important thing is to win," said Uruguayan Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde after the end of the match.
He praised his colleague Benzema's hat-trick, "We know what Karim offers us. The goals he scored are a reference point for all of us, and he always wants more."
For his part, Barcelona player Sergi Roberto said that Vinicius Junior's goal in the first half was a powerful blow.
And he added, “Their goal at the end of the first half killed us. We did not deserve to concede this goal. I think we were better in the first half.” ".
Barcelona entered the “El Clasico” with an additional dose of confidence about the royal club, as it defeated its rivals in five of its last six matches in various competitions, against one defeat, before falling by four.
Real succeeded in turning the tables on its opponent in its second confrontation in Catalonia in 18 days (losing in the league 1-2) and joining Osasuna, the winner of Athletic Bilbao, to the final.
Real, 19-time winner of the title, is also looking for its first coronation in the competition since the 2014 edition.
Barcelona had to deal with the many absences in its ranks due to injury, such as the Danish Andreas Christensen, the Frenchman Osman Dembele, Pedri and the Dutchman Frankie de Jong.
And Xavi Hernandez, coach of the Catalan club, decided to rely on the same starting line-up that played the first leg, with the exception of the three-player Sergi Roberto, the Brazilian Rafinha and the Polish Robert Lewandowski.
In turn, Real missed Frenchman Ferland Mendy with injury as well, while his Italian coach, Uruguayan Carlo Ancelotti, pushed Valverde alongside veterans Croatian Luka Modric and German Toni Kroos in the middle. While the Brazilians Rodrigo and Vinicius Junior play alongside the French Karim Benzema in the attack.
Barcelona started the match with a header from Rafinha in the hands of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (14), and he had the most possession of the ball after the first half hour, by 58 percent, compared to 42 for his rivals.
Real broke up with the owner of the land before the whistle at the end of the first half, with the goal of a counterattack that Vinicius Junior started with a ball that he passed to Benzema on the right side of the area, before the latter returned it to the Brazilian, who shot directly into the net of German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen (45 + 1).
Vinicius Junior raised his tally to 3 goals in 4 matches in the local cup with Real Madrid.
Real started the second half as he finished the first, doubling the score after a pass from Modric to Benzema in the last twenty meters, who benefited from the sliding of French defender Jules Conde to fire a through ball that hit the net (51).
Real raised his lead to 3 goals after Benzema scored his second personal goal from a penalty kick that Vinicius Jr. got after manipulating Uruguayan defenders Ronald Araujo and Ivorian Frank Kessier, so the latter made the mistake (58).
And Xavi paid his offensive cards as he no longer had anything to lose, so Kessier took out and replaced him with Ansu Fati (59), then he switched to the same position with Eric Garcia entering the place of Marco Alonso and striker Ferran Torres instead of Rafinha (66).
Benzema dealt the fatal blow to Barcelona's hopes by scoring his third personal goal for him and the fourth for his team, with a second assist from Vinicius Junior (81).
The "Camp Nou" fans chanted the name of the Argentine club legend, Lionel Messi, who left to join Paris Saint-Germain two years ago, during the tenth minute of the "El Clasico" life, to commemorate the number he wore in Catalonia during the golden era.
At the initiative of the North Stand, the fans chanted "Messi...Messi!" As it always did when the Argentine was writing in gold letters the club's history, until August 2021 when he had to leave.
Even before kick-off, in front of the "Camp Nou" stadium, several groups of fans sang songs glorifying the Argentine world champion, according to an AFP journalist.
Real did not lose only two of the last eight matches in the local cup (6 victories), as the last defeat dates back to March 2 at home against Barcelona (0-1).
For its part, Barcelona achieved a series of 5 successive victories in various competitions, after losing 2-1 to Manchester United in the European League competition “Europa League” and Almeria 0-1 in the league, before falling again this evening.