Immediate Reaction: Barcelona 0-4 Real Madrid (1-4 on aggregate)

Barcelona 0-4 Real Madrid(1-4 on aggregate) (Vinícius Júnior & Benzema x3). A miraculous result. Here is my reaction to the great win Still to come: Player ratings, post game quotes and the post game podcast.

With Osasuna becoming the first team to qualify for the Copa del Rey final yesterday - this became a really good opportunity for one of these two big sides to join them and become the immediate favourites. Barcelona came into the match with a marginal advantage after winning 1-0 away at the Santiago Bernabéu - but they did look comfortable throughout that showing. To try and turn this around, Carlo Ancelotti went with Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga to start as the full-backs. David Alaba returned at centre-half next to Éder Militão. Fede Valverde returned to the midfield alongside the experienced Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić. Karim Benzema headed the attack, and also wore the captains armband.

The majority of the first half was pretty bleak for Real Madrid. Barcelona looked comfortable on the ball and really put their rivals under the cosh. The only noticeable performance from the men in white came from Eduardo Camavinga - who really made Raphinha look very poor with his intelligent challenges, winning the induvial battle time and time again. In terms of actual team play and chances, only a Karim Benzema volley towards goal really tested the Catalans. Madrid needed some more urgency, and if not for some good defensive blocks they would have found themselves further behind. That urgency did come at the vital moment, as moments before half time Los Blancos put together a move which found the ball at the feet of Vinícius Júnior who only just beat Marc-André ter Stegen. Karim Benzema managed to tap the ball in to make sure it would have been a goal anyway - but the Brazilian was awarded it. 1-0 at half time, 1-1 on aggregate.

The late goal would need to spark something for Madrid, and it turned out that one moment of quality was all they needed. Within five minutes of the second half, they the led the tie as Benzema finished low after a quick attack to turn the tie in his sides’ favour. Ronald Araújo almost scored a really skilful goal after beating multiple players before shooting wide, but he would quickly go from hero to villain. Araújo fouled Vinícius Júnior in the area, gifting Benzema his second goal of the game from the spot. From here on out, it was all Madrid. There was still some danger of the game being blown wide open with a Barcelona goal - but the hosts looked deflated from the shock of it all - and Madrid only pushed further forward. It should have been four very quickly, but Luka Modrić’s pass was missed in front of an open goal by Rodrygo Goes. It would eventually be four, after Karim Benzema finally managed to seal his hat-trick, tapping past the keeper after he was found on the break by Vinícius Júnior. The tie was now all but over, and after a few substations to break up the play, the referee blew his whistle to send Real Madrid through to the Copa del Rey final. Was this the best result of the season?