Player ratings as Blaugrana take Copa del Rey aggregate lead

Barcelona will take a slender aggregate lead into the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final later this month after securing a 1-0 win over Real Madrid on the Bernabeu on Thursday evening.

It was a distinctly practical efficiency from Xavi’s group relatively than the form of classic Barça he himself as soon as performed in. But it mattered little ultimately, with an Eder Militao personal objective within the first half deciding the opening 90 minutes of the tie.

Real threatened to go forward inside the primary minute when Luka Modric sprinted ahead like somebody a lot youthful than 37. But as Jules Kounde got here again at him, the veteran Croatian might solely lash excessive into the facet netting from a narrowing angle.

Karim Benzema did have the ball within the web earlier than Barcelona took the lead, controlling it on his chest and swivelling to volley in multi function fluid movement. However, the offside flag appropriately denied him what would have been a really advantageous objective.

Sloppiness on the ball from Eduardo Camavinga helped give the Catalans their lead halfway by the primary half. There was nonetheless work to do and Ferran Torres fed Franck Kessie, whose shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois however rebounded into the online off Militao. It was initially threatened with an offside flag, with VAR confirming that Kessie was certainly onside when the ball was performed.

Dani Carvajal had an affordable probability shortly earlier than half-time, connecting on the far publish with a diagonal Toni Kroos cross however unable to manage the formidable volley heading in the right direction. Valverde additionally tried to deceive Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a disguised cross – the Barça goalkeeper didn’t fall for it.

Ronald Araujo was deployed at right-back to cease Vinicius Junior any means he might and pulled out a superb block to cease the Brazilian getting a possible equaliser quickly after the restart. The Barcelona defender was typically sticking to his man like glue.

Barça efficiently weathered a storm from the house facet as the hour mark got here and went with out ever actually giving up clear probabilities – Araujo and Kounde specifically defended exceptionally properly. But they have been additionally rising in confidence too and one other Torres-Kessie mixture ought to have doubled the lead. A cutback to the latter produced a low end destined for the underside nook, just for it to strike substitute Ansu Fati and deflect huge. Kessie was in disbelief.

Real sub Rodrygo had Ter Stegen nervous sufficient within the last seconds of the 90 to dive throughout his objective in pursuit of a rasping drive. In the top it was off beam and finally summed up their evening.

GK: Thibaut Courtois – 6/10 – Did properly to avoid wasting the primary try from Kessie. Not that invovled general.

RB: Dani Carvajal – 5/10 – Occupied a extremely excessive place on the appropriate, not that he did a lot.

CB: Eder Militao – 6/10 – Didn’t have time to readjust his legs as the ball got here again at him when Courtois saved Kessie’s preliminary shot. Defended properly usually.

CB: Antonio Rudiger – 6/10 – Barcelona did not put collectively many assaults so a lot of the recreation was performed in entrance of him.

LB: Nacho – 5/10 – Took a swing at making an attempt to clear the primary half objective and could not join. Sacrificed for tacital causes halfway by the second half.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga – 6/10 – Culpable for Barcelona’s first half objective with sloppy play. Disappointing as a result of he had loads of vitality and in any other case did properly.

CM: Luka Modric – 5/10 – Kicked out within the first half and seemed pissed off. Had an early probability to attain however missed the goal from an honest place.

CM: Toni Kroos – 5/10 – Passed the ball rather a lot with out reaching or creating that a lot.

RW: Federico Valverde – 6/10 – Always trying to probe and create probabilities. Didn’t fairly occur.

ST: Karim Benzema – 6/10 – Had the ball within the web with a elegant volley, solely to see a flag up. Didn’t have the service he would have wished after that.

LW: Vinicius Junior – 6/10 – Showed promise however by no means acquired the higher of Araujo.

Substitutes

SUB: Rodrygo (67′ for Nacho) – 5/10

SUB: Aurelien Tchouameni (74′ for Kroos) – 5/10

SUB: Alvaro Rodriguez (84′ for Modric) – N/A

Manager

Carlo Ancelotti – 5/10 – His facet did not appear to have the appropriate creativity however there have been no decisive options from the boss.

GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen – 8/10 – Really calming and at all times in command of each scenario.

RB: Ronald Araujo – 9/10 – Pushed to the appropriate, seemingly in an try and fight the tempo and agility of Vinicius. Won that battle each time.

CB: Jules Kounde – 9/10 – Defensive efficiency of the very best order.

CB: Marcos Alonso – 7/10 – Repelled all the things that got here his means.

LB: Alejandro Balde – 7/10 – Limited the hazard that got here from his facet.

CM: Franck Kessie – 7/10 – Made the breakthrough objective doable with a driving run from deep.

CM: Sergo Busquets (c) – 7/10 – Held issues collectively in midfield and led by instance.

CM: Frenkie de Jong – 7/10 – Needed to provide a disciplined show and did.

RW: Raphinha – 6/10 – Offered a hazard on the break, however was carrying a yellow card and appeared a bit of leggy after the break.

ST: Ferran Torres – 7/10 – Didn’t see a great deal of the ball however made good use of it when he did. Created the primary half objective and nearly assisted a second afterward.

LW: Gavi – 7/10 – Involved in some pushing and shoving within the second half. Worked laborious and put himself about to try to disrupt Real, which was necessary.