Barça beat Real Madrid in Copa del Rey semi-final first leg

The game: 0-1

Diminished by the absences of Robert Lewandowski, Pedri and Ousmane Dembélé (injured), Barça de Xavi rebounded well after his unexpected hiccup in Almeria (0-1), Sunday in La Liga, where he remained on seven wins in a row before and whose he remains a strong leader with seven points ahead of Real Madrid. And the Blaugranas confirmed that they had learned the lessons of the Clasico going to the league (lost 1-3 in Madrid, October 16). Because after their success with the same score (3-1), on January 15 in Riyadh (ARS) in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, the Barcelonans won at the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium (1-0), in semi- King’s Cup final first leg.

For this, during a dull and closed first period, Barça first knew how to show an icy realism. Taking advantage of an involuntary offering from Camavinga, Ferran Torres launched Kessié whose shot from the left was repelled by Courtois but bounced off Militao, thus author of a csc (26th)! Only threatening on an excellent cross from Kroos badly negotiated by Caravajal (41st), the people of Madrid, lacking inspiration and bleeding, tried to accelerate after the break.

But they did not really succeed, even if Valverde found Vinicius, countered in extremis by Araujo (49th), while the Brazilian striker sent a vicious center-shot, slammed by Ter Stegen (58th). And paradoxically, it was even the Blaugrana who got the biggest chance of the second period, through Franck Kessié, again him, on a center back from Ferran Torres. But the ball was removed from the goal by … Ansu Fati, involuntarily (72nd). Real then pushed, but in a rather messy way and therefore got into trouble for the return match, Wednesday April 5, at Camp Nou.

The player: Imperial Jules Koundé

We know it: constantly wandering between the right side and the axis, especially in his club, the French international defender (24 years old, 18 caps) shows a clear preference for the latter position. His XXL performance this Thursday on the lawn of Real Madrid, so not anywhere or against anyone (Benzema in particular) clearly pleads for his cause, because he displayed all the qualities of a great central defender: authority in duels whether aerial or on the ground, the science of placement and anticipation, plus the ability to relaunch properly.