Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 4–0 at the Camp Nou and won the Copa del Rey final 4–1 on aggregate.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team made a spectacular comeback from a one-goal deficit in the first leg of the semi-final, with Benzema adding a triple in the second half.
Benzema, who scored three times against Real Valladolid in LaLiga, repeated a trick that humiliated Barcelona in Xavi Hernández’s difficult night in front of some 95,000 distraught fans.
The Whites are 12 points clear of their biggest rivals in La Liga, having lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Barça in January, but are now in the final of the Copa for the first time since 2014 when they faced Osasuna.
Madrid corralled a record 31-time Cup winner with a muscular performance on a night of spikes in Barcelona, ending the demoralization of three consecutive defeats in the Clásico.
Ancelotti’s side dominated the first leg but were beaten 1-0 by Eder Militao’s own goal and delivered a stunning punch in a late La Liga win over Barcelona in March .
Xavi has been without Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen in recent months against Madrid, with four midfielders including Gabi nominally starting from the left. Sticking to the same formula that served Barça so well.
The game started with breakneck pace and intensity. Both teams were eager to reach the final, but were desperate to avoid being knocked out by their opponents.
Barcelona furiously sued for a penalty in the first minutes as David Alaba blocked Gabi’s cross with his arm, but it was planted on the floor for balance.
In a notable year, Real Madrid star Karim Benzema further cemented his reputation as a giant killer with a hat-trick to beat rivals Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
The French striker won the Ballon d’Or in October, based on his exceptional prowess on the biggest stage of the elimination game, a trend that saw Barca win 4-0 on Wednesday. The war continued.
Real Madrid went into the second leg at the Camp Nou facing a 1-0 shortfall against the La Liga leaders, but Benzema demolished Barcelona’s shielding with three second-half goals. The forwards scored the first goal in the 50th minute after Vinicius Jr. scored. the front goal in stoppage time.
Benzema then added a penalty in the 58th minute to silence the Camp Nou.
Benzema scored a 30-minute hat-trick with the third goal and won both games 4-1 on aggregate. Benzema scored a hat-trick for the second game in a row after Real beat Valladolid last weekend.
It was a familiar sight for Real Madrid fans after Benzema ripped Europe’s best club apart in the Champions League final last season.Real Madrid, who faced a deficit in the first leg against PSG in last season’s Round of 16, saw Chelsea with Benzema’s hat-trick. Another hat-trick for Benzema sent Real into the semi-finals against Man City, this time in the first leg.
Real Madrid’s next match in their Champions League title defense is against fledgling Chelsea, who have just sacked their second manager of the season. And after knocking out that archive, Madrid will face Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final.
