Real Madrid 0-3 (1-4 on agg.) Barcelona
A lot of Spanish football fans knew that this was going to be a tough week for FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Any edition of El Clasico will always be elevated to a higher plateau due to the colossal amount of hype that surrounds it. This fact is especially true as the Blaugrana and Los Blancos were fighting for the right to lift the Copa del Rey at the end of the season.
Santiago Solari’s squad came to the game as slight favourites after leaving Camp Nou with an away-goal advantage. If they managed to keep the score as goalless, they would have cruised straight to the final.
However, Barcelona just loved playing second-leg games too much. Luis Suarez was front and centre for the Blaugrana, giving the media an impressive collection of Copa del Rey 2019 highlights.
This result sets up an interesting atmosphere when they meet at the same place again for what could be the last Clasico of the season.
Highlights of the game
Real Madrid came into this game full of confidence after limiting Barca in front of their own fans. It was a neck-and-neck game that saw Real Madrid take advantage of a Messi-less starting XI to force an interesting bout at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Confidence was sky-high at Real’s camp that young gun Vinicius Junior claimed that there is no reason for them to fear a certain Lionel Messi. He said that he wanted to play in big games like this, and he made his presence felt in what was a nonchalant first half.
He made a piercing run in the sixth minute and almost gave Madrid an overwhelming advantage in the 19th and 22nd minutes. He overwhelmed Gerard Pique, making Barca fans see that the incredible hype surrounding the Brazilian is with reason.
Karim Benzema also tried his hand at getting a goal, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen pulled off a superb save to end the half with both teams failing to change the score. Madrid supporters were probably happy with how the half turned out while the visiting Barca faithful were probably asking for Luis Suarez’s neck.
The Uruguay international may not have scored in five games, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t an integral part of Barcelona’s attack. Ernesto Valverde asked the fans to be patient with the club’s fifth all-time top scorer, and Suarez returned his manager’s faith in spades.
It was in the 50th minute when a seemingly calm buildup sped up as Ousmane Dembele rushed towards the left end of the danger zone. He tethered a pass to the unmarked Suarez, who then ended his goal drought with a powerful effort past Keylor Navas.
Vinicius Junior and the rest of Los Blancos tried to get the team back on track with an equaliser, but things went south in the 69th minute. Dembele’s top-notch speed was once again key as he found himself all alone with the football inside the penalty area. He made a low cross, and Raphael Varane made a diving tackle that unfortunately headed straight to the goal.
Suarez killed off the game when he was fouled by Casemiro inside the box in the 72nd minute. He made a powerful run for the spot-kick to force Navas out of position. He then finished with a cheeky chip that gracefully floated to the net.
It was total domination for Barca, a great follow-up to their domination in Seville. I believe that only a few brave souls would have gone for the Copa del Rey 2019 odds that favoured this result after the first leg, but Barcelona showed us once again why they are still the Kings of Spain.
Key Statistics
Compared to the previous game, Real Madrid had more of the football as the possession was more in the balance. Real Madrid had more cracks at goal compared to their guests, but only four of their fourteen attempts ever tested Ter Stegen. The German stopper was playing out of his skin with his four saves.
This game is Barcelona’s third win in five competitive matches over Real Madrid. All of them were won by at least three goals. Interestingly, Messi hasn’t scored in the last three Clasicos, the last one being against a Real Madrid side that had a Cristiano Ronaldo.
What’s next?
Barcelona are now through to the Copa Del Rey final, and they will either face Valencia or Real Betis. You can be sure that SBOBET will book the Catalan club as heavy favourites to win the title as they simply have better players over their two prospective opponents.
Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for Real Madrid. They can reclaim their thunder when they Barca again in the coming weekend, but the odds will surely not be in their favour. After this Clasico is a big Champions League game against Ajax.
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