Real Madrid v Barcelona Live Commentary & Result, 02/03/2023, Copa del Rey

We hope you've enjoyed our live coverage of this Copa del Rey semi-final first leg! It's goodbye for now, and we hope to see you again next time!

It wasn't a vintage Barcelona performance by any means, but with Pedri and Lewandowski absent, Xavi's side had to find an alternative way to win. Araujo, Kounde and Alonso were outstanding at the back as the Blaugrana repelled wave after wave of Madrid pressure, ensuring Ter Stegen was never seriously tested. Madrid will have to do much better in the away leg on April 5, by which time these rivals will have met again in LaLiga…

Full-time! Barcelona hold on for a huge win at the home of their greatest rivals! Militao's own goal was the difference in a hard-fought affair at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Brazilian seeing Kessie's saved shot deflect off his shin and into the net. While Madrid started both halves well and enjoyed plenty of possession and pressure, their forwards misfired as they failed to record a single shot on target. Barca will take a 1-0 lead into next month's second leg at Camp Nou!

90' + 8' FULL-TIME: REAL MADRID 0-1 BARCELONA

90' + 7' Barca clear the corner, and the referee looks at his watch...

90' + 6' WIDE! A scramble in the penalty area ensues as Militao attempts an overhead kick 12 yards out. The ball eventually deflects wide and a VAR check for handball against Alonso fails to find anything wrong. Madrid have to settle for a corner…

90' + 4' Ter Stegen will punt this free-kick long. Surely that will be that for Barcelona…

90' + 3' Carvajal finds space to cross from the right… but there's nobody there and Araujo can clear unopposed. The second delivery comes from Vinicius, but Alvaro fouls Ter Stegen as the duo go up for the ball.

90' + 2' Fati earns a free-kick as he tempts Camavinga into a foul. That's good play from the Barca man, and it allows Xavi's men to get the ball away from their own area.

90' We're into five added minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu! Barcelona are close to a first-leg victory, but Madrid are rushing to get on the attack in the dying moments!

89' Close from Rodrygo! The Brazilian almost nets a spectacular leveller as he cuts inside and flashes a 25-yard effort just wide of the top-right corner. That's as close as Madrid have come, but they're still yet to hit the target!

87' Vinicius, Alvaro, Benzema and Rodrygo are playing as a front four for Madrid now. Benzema tries to latch onto a long ball in the left channel, but it runs through to Ter Stegen. Madrid need to provide better service to their forwards.

86' Barca win a corner on the right, but Torres' delivery is weak and it's headed away at the near post. Madrid need to get the ball to the other end as the clock ticks down…

Sergi Roberto

F. Kessié

86' Barcelona respond to Madrid's latest switch with one of their own. Roberto comes on for Kessie, who played a key role in Militao's own goal earlier on.

84' Benzema clips Kounde's heels and Barca get a free-kick in their own half, and a chance to eat up some more valuable seconds, much to the home crowd's frustration.

Á. Rodríguez

L. Modrić

83' Madrid make another change. Alvaro – who scored a dramatic leveller against Atletico on Saturday – is on for Modric as the hosts go for broke.

80' Balde is tripped by Rodrygo as he looks to advance down the Barca left. That's a free-kick for the visitors as we enter the final 10 minutes of the 90.

79' Remarkably, Madrid are still yet to record a single shot on target in this game. They may have been unfortunate with Militao's own goal, but they have been found wanting in the final third here.

78' Tchouameni looks to have overhit a cross, but Valverde does exceptionally well to keep it alive with an overhead kick. Madrid's supporters then appeal for handball against Torres, but it certainly came off the Barca man's shoulder – nothing doing!

75' For all Madrid's possession and pressure, Barca will definitely feel they should be 2-0 up. There wasn't much else Fati could do as he attempted to jump over Kessie's shot, but it comically bounced off the forward and away from the gaping goal!

A. Tchouaméni

T. Kroos

74' Madrid make a change in midfield. Kroos' influence has waned in recent minutes and he will be replaced, with Tchouameni on in his place.

F. Valverde

Yellow Card

73' Valverde is the next player booked for a clumsy trip on De Jong in midfield.

72' HOW IS IT NOT 2-0? A remarkable intervention from Fati denies Barca a two-goal lead! Torres gets to the byline and cuts back to Kessie, who runs onto the ball in acres of space inside the box. The midfielder's side-footed finish is destined to find the bottom-left corner, but his own team-mate Fati blocks it, and it flies wide!

71' Barca look to have weathered another storm from Madrid at the start of this half. We're into the final 20 minutes and things have calmed down, which will delight Xavi on the sidelines.

70' Barca win a free-kick near the corner flag on the right, which is hung up towards Busuqets. The Blaugrana skipper attacks it… but his header bounces well wide of the left-hand post.

Ansu Fati

Raphinha

69' Fati replaces Raphinha, who was cautioned earlier on.

68' Barca go close against the run of play as Torres just fails to meet Raphinha's cross. That will be the Brazilian's last action as Fati prepares to come on.

67' The free-kick is easily cleared. Rodrygo looks to be playing on the left, with Vinicius moving closer to Benzema and Camavinga filling in at left-back.

Rodrygo

Nacho

66' Rodrygo is on in the game's first substitution. Madrid opt to remove Nacho from the action.

F. Kessié

Yellow Card

66' Madrid win a free-kick 25 yards from goal on the right of the box as Kessie pushes his arm into Carvajal's face. The Barca midfielder is cautioned for that foul.

64' Madrid have certainly upped the tempo since half-time, but they are yet to carve out a real clear-cut chance. Ancelotti looks to have seen enough, and Rodrygo is preparing to enter the fray.

63' Madrid win yet another corner on the opposite side, but it runs too long and Barca get a chance to break... Raphinha runs the ball out of play, however, putting a stop to the Blaugrana charge.

62' Vinicius is once again held up by Araujo, who is playing well. The Brazilian wins another corner, but Kounde gets up to clear it.

61' Torres sets Raphinha clear in a rare Barca break, but Camavinga does so well to track the Brazilian and win the ball cleanly inside his own area. Kroos is then caught by Kessie, and Madrid get a free-kick in their own territory.

59' Madrid have had 59 per cent of the possession here, a rare sight in any game against Barca. The absences of Pedri and Lewandowski are being felt as the visitors struggle to keep the ball, but the Blaugrana defence continues to stay strong.

58' Ter Stegen at full stretch! A left-wing cross from Vinicius may have been curling in at the far post, so Ter Stegen makes sure by getting a firm glove to the ball, diverting it to safety.

56' Alonso clears two crosses from Modric – the second with a fine diving header. Madrid keep coming back, however – Barcelona can't make it stick up front and may need to make a change.

Nacho

Yellow Card

55' Nacho becomes the next man booked after hauling Raphinha to the ground. That was a cynical foul to stop a Barcelona counter-attack, and with Rudiger close by, the defender didn't need to make it.

54' A mishit pass from Balde is almost seized upon by Benzema, but Alonso recovers to divert it back to Ter Stegen, and Barcelona can retain possession. They have started both halves on the ropes, but so far, the Blaugrana have held firm.

52' Camavinga cuts onto his left foot and floats a poor effort well over the crossbar from 25 yards out.

51' Barca clear Madrid's second corner, but this is certainly better from the hosts. Barca are being pinned back for the first time in a while.

Gavi

Yellow Card

51' Gavi is shown a yellow card for an altercation with Vinicius in the box as the players await the corner. There looked to be little in that, and a booking appears harsh.

50' Madrid's corner is cleared but they come again, and Araujo has to be on his toes to block Vinicius' cross from the left. It's another set-piece for the hosts…

49' Close! Valverde gets into the right-hand channel and cuts back for Vinicius, who looks to bend a shot towards the far corner. Araujo throws himself in front of it, and the deflection carries it just wide!

48' Madrid's fans are furious as Vinicius sees a cross turned behind by Ter Stegen. The linesman awards a goal-kick, claiming the Brazilian had dribbled the ball out of play, but that looked questionable!

47' The team to score first in El Clasico has won 14 of the last 16 such games (D2), with Barca the last side to emerge victorious after conceding first in April 2017 (a 3-2 win at Madrid).

46' Barcelona kick us off for the second half! No changes from either of these famous rivals at the interval.

Madrid initially dominated with Modric and Valverde swapping positions on the right, while Vinicius was lively in the first 20 minutes or so. Since Barca went ahead, however, the restored visiting backline of Araujo, Kounde, Alonso and Balde have been largely untroubled. If the game continues like this, it surely won't be long before Ancelotti calls upon Rodrygo.

It's half-time at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Barcelona hold a 1-0 lead in this semi-final first leg! It certainly wasn't a vintage Barca goal which put Xavi's men ahead, as Kessie's saved effort deflected off Militao and rolled into the bottom-right corner, but the Blaugrana will not mind! Real Madrid started brightly and had a Benzema strike correctly chalked off for offside, but they have faded since going behind, and need to improve after the interval.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: REAL MADRID 0-1 BARCELONA

45' We're into two minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half, as Madrid retain possession inside Barca territory.

Raphinha

Yellow Card

45' Vinicius is cynically tripped by his international team-mate Raphinha, who becomes the first visiting player to be cautioned. He can have no complaints with that decision.

43' Ter Stegen is on hand to punch away a cross from Kroos, before the German comfortably catches Carvajal's delivery from the right. Madrid need to get to half-time and have a rethink – they are struggling to create chances now.

42' Militao charges from his centre-back position to the byline, and his cross has to be hooked away by De Jong. Barca get a bit of good fortune as it narrowly avoids going behind for a corner.

41' Big chance for Carvajal! Madrid's best opportunity of the half falls to the wrong man. Kroos picks his head up and swings an excellent ball in from the left-hand side, finding Carvajal in space 10 yards from goal. The full-back gets under his volley, however, and sends it high into the Bernabeu stands.

39' Better from Madrid as Camavinga scoops a nice ball into Benzema inside the area, but Balde and Alonso combine to crowd the Ballon d'Or holder out, and Barca clear their lines.

37' A flowing Barcelona move starts with a nutmeg from Alonso in the left-back position, and ends with Raphinha just unable to reach Gavi's cross from the left. The visitors have played their way into this match and are on top all of a sudden.

35' Madrid have definitely lost their way since the goal. The home crowd are growing frustrated as Busquets goes down theatrically under a challenge from Vinicius, allowing the visitors to retain possession with a free-kick on halfway.

34' Kounde makes not one, but two clearances – with the second hitting Kessie and sending him down. The midfielder remains on the deck as Modric bends a long-range effort wide, and Barcelona are fuming with their rivals for playing on.

32' Madrid need to keep their cool here. After making a positive start, they find themselves 1-0 down, and the home players are getting in the referee's face after every challenge.

30' A foul on Camavinga gives Madrid a free-kick 30 yards from goal as they look for an immediate response. Barca clear as far as Vinicius, who wriggles to the byline and sees his cut-back held by Ter Stegen, good goalkeeping!

28' That goal has perhaps come against the run of play, but Barcelona won't mind! Madrid are punished after losing the ball inside their own half, with Gavi doing well to tee up Kessie – though there was more than a hint of fortune about the goal!

Éder Militão

Own Goal

26' GOAL GIVEN! BARCELONA LEAD 1-0! It goes down as a Militao own goal! The referee points to the centre-spot, and that's the correct decision! Raphinha played no part in the move and was a spectator as Kessie's saved effort hit Militao and rolled into the net! The visitors are ahead!

26' Barca have the ball in the net, but it's offside again! Kessie races onto Gavi's reverse pass and sees a shot saved by Courtois, only for the ball to deflect over the line! The linesman has put his flag up against Raphinha, but the winger didn't appear to play any part in the move… VAR is checking this…

Vinícius Júnior

Yellow Card

24' Vinicius becomes the first player booked after grappling with De Jong. At first glance, that looked to be the correct decision, but on second viewing, the Brazilian looks hard done-by. De Jong also had his hands on him!

22' We're approaching the midway point of this first half and chances have been at a premium. Madrid have certainly looked the more lively in the final third, but Modric and Benzema both mistimed their runs when presented with the best chances – other than those moments, they've created little.

21' A deep free-kick is swung into the area by Alonso and Barca win the first header, but Valverde is on hand to hack it clear near the six-yard box.

20' Barcelona enjoy a better spell of possession in Madrid's half, but Camavinga forces them back by helping to crowd out Raphinha following a promising dart inside from the touchline.

18' Madrid see their next corner punched to safety by Ter Stegen, but Barca are again unable to retain possession. The hosts have started very well here!

17' Madrid win another corner as Raphinha tracks back to make a crucial sliding challenge on Nacho, who had raced in behind to receive Vinicius' pass. The set-piece is cleared behind for another, and the referee delays play to talk to Rudiger and Kessie, who were wrestling in the box.

15' Benzema sees a shot blocked for a corner, which Barca stand firm to clear. Vinicius then leads another Blancos attack, but his cross is easily claimed by Ter Stegen.

14' Benzema has scored 13 goals in 40 appearances in El Clasico. His next goal against Barca will see him draw level with Francisco Gento (14 goals in 42 games) and Ferenc Puskas (14 goals in 18) to go joint-fourth in Madrid's scoring charts in this fixture. The Frenchman went too early with his first chance of the game, but there will surely be more to come.

12' GOAAAL… But no, the flag is up, Benzema is definitely offside! De Jong plays a risky ball towards Kessie in midfield, and Madrid steal possession before springing forwards. Vinicius lifts a fine cross towards Benzema, who produces a brilliant touch and volley into the bottom-left corner, but replays show he was at least a yard offside.

10' Pedri was key for Barca when they beat Madrid in the rivals' last meeting. A hamstring injury has kept him out of this fixture, and so far his absence has been notable – Madrid are keeping the ball well.

8' Barca win the first corner of the game as Nacho gets across to challenge Raphinha. The Brazilian plays a give-and-go from the set-piece, but his final delivery is straight to Modric, who surprisingly misplaces a pass out of play.

7' Vinicius finds space on the left and charges into the area. He looks to have Araujo and De Jong in trouble, but his shot flashes well wide of the near post.

6' Madrid have been eliminated from three of their last four two-legged knockout ties against Barca in the Copa del Rey, having won the previous three before that run. Can Ancelotti's men avenge January's Supercopa de Espana defeat to their rivals?

4' Vinicius is pushed to the ground by Araujo and Madrid get a free-kick, which is taken short. Barca will need to remain alert to contain the in-form wideman.

3' Modric is getting forward often early on, as the Croatian just fails to find Carvajal with a cute ball into the area. Barca immediately give the ball back to Madrid, however, and they will come again…

2' Madrid were comprehensively outplayed when they lost 3-1 to Barca in January, but they're looking to make a positive start to this game, pressing high and immediately attempting to get in behind.

1' Early chance for Madrid, but the flag goes up! Carvajal delivers a weighted ball in behind for Modric, who hammers into the side netting after bearing down on Ter Stegen's goal. The linesman eventually flags for offside, but that's a warning for Barca.

1' This semi-final tie is under way as Madrid get the ball rolling at the Bernabeu!

Somewhat remarkably, Madrid have not won the Copa del Rey since the 2013-14 season, when Gareth Bale scored a memorable solo goal in their 2-1 final success against Barca. Their rivals have won the competition in five of the subsequent eight seasons. Which of these famous foes will seize the initiative in this tie? The players are out, and kick-off is imminent!

Xavi makes five alterations to the side which lost to Almeria last time out. Robert Lewandowski is the most notable absentee after suffering a hamstring injury, meaning Torres assumes a central striking role with Raphinha coming in on the right. Barca have made wholesale changes at the back, with Araujo, Kounde, Alonso and Balde in for benched quartet Roberto, Christensen, Garcia and Alba.

Ancelotti makes two changes to the side which started Saturday's 1-1 derby draw with Atletico. Ceballos and Asensio drop to the bench, with Modric and Camavinga coming into the midfield, allowing Valverde to play in a more advanced role on the right flank. Rodrygo is among the substitutes after an injury forced him to sit out Saturday's game.

BARCELONA SUBS: Inaki Pena, Arnau Tenas, Ansu Fati, Andreas Christensen, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, Eric Garcia, Pablo Torre, Angel Alarcon, Estanis Pedrola.

BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Franck Kessie; Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Gavi.

REAL MADRID SUBS: Andriy Lunin, Luis Lopez, Jesus Vallejo, Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio, Alvaro Odriozola, Lucas Vazquez, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Rodrygo, Mariano Diaz, Alvaro Rodriguez.

REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Daniel Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Nacho; Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric; Federico Valverde, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are looking to avoid a third successive defeat, having followed up their Europa League elimination at Manchester United by losing 1-0 to Almeria on Sunday. Xavi's men already have one domestic trophy under their belts this term, and if they could beat Madrid to three pieces of Spanish silverware this season, that would represent a remarkable first full campaign in charge for the Blaugrana boss.

Real Madrid and Barcelona do battle for the third time this season as Los Blancos welcome the Blaugrana to the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid are looking to respond after a below-par performance saw them held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday. Carlo Ancelotti's men are seven points adrift of Barca at the top of the league and lost out to their old rivals in the Supercopa de Espana in January, so they will be desperate to start this semi-final tie strongly.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of El Clasico, as Real Madrid host Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals!

Real Madrid v Barcelona Live Commentary, 02/03/2023

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