Karim Benzema’s hat‑trick powered Real Madrid to a 4‑0 demolition of Barcelona at the Camp Nou, securing a 4‑1 aggregate victory and a place in the Copa del Rey final. Vinícius Júnior opened the scoring just before halftime, sparking a dramatic comeback from the one‑goal deficit they carried from the first leg. Benzema added three more in the second half, replicating the treble he had scored earlier in the weekend against Real Valladolid. The result was a painful night for Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández and the nearly 95,000 fans in attendance.
Despite trailing their arch‑rivals by 12 points in La Liga and having lost to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in January, Real Madrid advanced to the Copa final for the first time since 2014, where they will meet Osasuna. “It was a complete game – when you play a complete game, you win 4‑0 like that,” said manager Carlo Ancelotti. “This is the most important moment of the season and when we’re at the right temperature, we’re good.”
Barcelona’s midfielder Sergi Roberto described the halftime goal as a major blow. “Their goal at the end of the first half killed us. We didn’t deserve to let in that goal. I think we were better in the first half,” he told RTVE. “We created more chances that we didn’t put away, and that goal hurt our morale. In the second half they scored the second and we couldn’t play our game.” Roberto added that the defeat would not jeopardise Barcelona’s title bid, given their comfortable points lead.
Xavi’s side were missing an injured quartet—Ousmane Dembélé, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen—which proved costly. The match began at a furious pace, with both teams desperate to avoid elimination. Xavi received a booking for protesting a foul, while Gavi and Vinícius were also cautioned. Early on, Barcelona fans chanted Lionel Messi’s name amid speculation about his future, hoping for a spark that never came.
Real Madrid seized the lead in first‑half stoppage time. After Thibaut Courtois saved a shot from Robert Lewandowski, Vinícius received a pass from Rodrygo and squeezed the ball past Jules Koundé, despite the defender’s attempt to clear. Benzema was on hand but the goal stood. In the second half, Benzema doubled the lead from the penalty spot after a clumsy foul by Franck Kessié on Vinícius, sending Marc‑Andre Ter Stegen the wrong way. He completed his hat‑trick with a composed finish following a fine dribble and a pass from Vinícius.
Xavi praised the opposition’s performance despite the loss. “Congratulations to Real Madrid, they had a great second half and competed very well,” he said. “If you let Madrid off the hook, they don’t forgive you. It’s not by chance they have won the Champions League — they have a great team.”
Real Madrid have lifted the Copa del Rey 19 times, while Osasuna, who reached the final after beating Athletic Bilbao, have never won the competition. Their upcoming clash will decide who claims the trophy.
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