REA 1:1 BAR | Real Madrid - FC Barcelona (Copa del Rey)

Copa del Rey

Real – Barcelona

1:1 (end)

final

Real Madrid

1:1 (0:0)

FC Barcelona

Wednesday 30.01.2013, 21:00 • Santiago Bernabéu • Copa del Rey

		Welcome. Game starts at 21:00.
		Hello everyone, welcome at the live report of the game one of Copa del Rey semifinals between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. When these two teams meet, it's usually one of the most anticipated and most followed soccer events of the year. This is no exception as the two participants of the hottest rivalry in Spanish soccer are about to square off for a place in the finals of Spanish King's Cup - the Copa del Rey. Even though Real will be at home tonight, at Santiago Bernabéu, the odds are in favor of the visiting team that is having a better season this year. Let's see how it plays out, kickoff is scheduled for 9 PM.
	1	Game started.
	1	Real kicked the game off.
	2	A foul by Piqué results in a yellow card for the Barcelona player, Cristiano Ronaldo will kick a free kick from a good scoring position.
	2	Great job by Ronaldo getting the ball past the wall, but Pinto made a spectacular stop.
	3	Corner kick played into the penalty area by Ronaldo, foul by José Callejón gives Barcelona possession.
	4	Real looking to create another attack, but the visiting team breaks it up quickly.
	5	Daniel Alves hit hard by Arbeloa and it looks as though he is hurt. He's taken off the field, Barcelona has to play in ten men.
	6	Lionel Messi failed to come through individually, decided to look for Pedro then, who was caught offside.
	7	Barcelona failed on an attack via the left wing, Xabi Alonso loses the ball on the counter-attack, great sliding tackle by Messi.
	8	Long air pass by Diego López who tried to get a Real attack going, the ball ends up in the hands of Pinto after all.
	8	Callejón crosses it in looking for Benzema, Pinto scoops up the ball.
	9	Real is slowly building up another attack from their own half.
	9	Good try by Essien that could've gone in had Pinto not made a stop that deflected the football over the bar.
	10	Corner kick defended by Barcelona.
	11	Messi penetrated through the defence of Real all the way into the penalty area where he found Fabrégas with a no-look pass. Not much space for Cesc there, he managed to fire one, not a good shot though.
	13	Ronaldo was a recipient of one great pass into a good scoring position, Carles Puyol prevents the football from getting to the Portuguese star.
	13	Great cross by Andrés Iniesta to Jordi Alba, shot goes wide.
	14	Barcelona with possession, patiently exchanging passes in their own half.
	15	Ronaldo almost stole the football away on a great press, Alves managed to kick it out of play just in time.
	16	Ricardo Carvalho gets a yellow for a foul on Fabregas.
	17	Set play doesn't work well for Barcelona, the home team has possession.
	18	Ronaldo trying to penetrate into the penalty area again, Alves makes another good play to save Barcelona from danger.
	18	Barcelona with the football trying to create an attack.
	19	Özil couldn't get past three defenders, no chance there for the midfielder.
	19	Benzema with a cross into the area looking for Ronaldo who was just a couple feet away from it.
	20	Iniesta taken down illegally, free kick for Barcelona.
	21	Free kick performed by Xavi and the football hit the crossbar of López's goal!
	21	Counter-attack by Real, Ronaldo can't keep it going on the right side.
	22	Rough play on Busquets by Callejón, should've been a yellow card maybe.
	23	After Iniesta got fouled in midfield, Diego López had to fetch the football in order to keep it out of danger.
	24	Barcelona with another big chance, Xavi had the ball in front of the wide-open goal after a big mistake by Real defence, Raphaël Varane makes a big-time block at the goal line.
	25	Barcelona has possession looking to open the scoring.
	26	Another chance is stopped, Fábregas was offside.
	27	First big chance for the home team, Callejón found Benzema in a good position, the latter's drive goes wide.
	28	Momentum has switched to Real's side as they are know in possession and looking to attack.
	28	Keeping Ronaldo off the football has been critical for Barcelona defence so far.
	29	Arbeloa stops a Barcelona attack on the left wing.
	30	Callejón was about to receive the pass to a good position, good job by Jordi Alba to break the play up.
	31	Messi with the ball, good sliding tackle by Essien.
	31	Ronaldo does a similar thing to Alves, but this time it's a foul. Good position for a free kick for Barcelona.
	32	Barcelona wanted Ronaldo to get a yellow card for that, ref is not handing one out of his pocket.
	32	Messi kicks it high over the crossbar.
	34	Callejón was looking to come through individually, Busquets stops him.
	34	Essien looked a little dangerous, Alba makes it a corner kick.
	35	Özil kicked the corner, Pinto and Puyol get the football out of danger.
	36	Callejón in another chance, this time looking for Benzema, but it wouldn't go.
	37	Alves collided with Pinto who looks injured, after some time, he looks alright, will stay in the game.
	38	Real is looking very offensively-minded right now.
	39	Özil finished a counter-attack, the shot is blocked.
	40	Barcelona looking to slow things down here late in the first half.
	41	Some pushing between Alonso and Alves, none of them gets a yellow card though.
	42	Dangerous play by Callejón stopping Alba, the ref shows him yellow.
	42	Alba tried to penetrate to the penalty area, Varane stops him with a slide.
	44	Barcelona looking dangerous in front of Real's goal, Pedro is called offside though.
	45	Ronaldo looking for Özil with a cross, good cover by the Barcelona defence.
	45	Puyol had to stop Ronaldo's break-in by himself now.
		1st halftime finished.
		Exciting soccer tonight in Madrid, even though neither of the two teams has been able to score a goal yet. We'll see if the scoreboard changes in the second half.
	46	Start of 2nd half.
	47	Barcelona in possession early in the second half.
	47	Benzema had the football in the penalty area, his shot goes over the bar.
	48	Iniesta and Messi played that one well, but couldn't finish it off with the penalty area just stuffed with Real players.
	49	Arbeloa had to go back to López, but the home goalkeeper is able to deal with this one.
	50	Goal for Barcelona! The visiting team takes the lead early in the second half! Busquets stole the football and just gave it to CESC FABREGAS who was in a great position and gave López no chance to make a save.
	51	Real will have to fight hard to overcome the lead. Alba is now in some pain after a tackle with Essien.
	53	Barcelona in possession, clock starts ticking.
	55	Momentum is swinging, but Barcelona is mostly trying to save some time.
	56	Fabregas looked dangerous getting past the defence, Varane makes a last-moment tackle.
	56	Offside called against Barcelona, not according to the replay though.
	57	Ronaldo is still struggling tonight which might be what hurts the home team the most.
	57	Özil crosses one to the doorstep, not accurate enough.
	58	First substitution of the night, José Callejón comes off and Luka Modrić comes onto the field.
	60	Beautiful cross by Essien, Ronaldo could tie things up, but the ball flies just wide.
	61	Real found the sought-for edge and is now looking to score and equalizer.
	62	Benzema a recipient of a cross, but he's covered tight.
	62	Foul by Carvalho on Messi, Barcelona gets possession.
	63	Alves' cross covered by the home defence.
	63	What a big shot by Alves, López had troubles with it, but managed to make the save.
	64	Second substitution for Real, Benzema is going off, Gonzalo Higuaín is the fresh player in.
	64	Barcelona controls possession saving more time.
	66	We just had an opportunity to look at the stats. 15 fouls by Real, only one by Barcelona tonight.
	67	Interesting ball into the penalty area and it almost got to Ronaldo, but Piqué saves the day.
	67	Not a good corner kick, Barcelona in possession.
	68	Real goes all-in, their defence looks wide-open.
	69	Real, however, can't get to the range from where they could fire the ball on goal.
	70	Great pass by Alves gets Fabregas in a perfect position, the only scorer of the game puts it over the bar.
	71	Barcelona still in possession.
	71	Modrić was there to finish off a great passing play, a defender blocked the shot.
	72	Alves gets a yellow for a foul on Ronaldo.
	73	Big shot by Messi from the penalty area, Essien blocks it, corner kick ensues.
	74	Xavi kicked it, but Real regains the ball.
	74	A cross by Khedira goes into the area, both Ronaldo and Higuaín are offside.
	75	Barcelona with the ball, saving time.
	76	First substitution made by Barcelona, Pedro goes off, Alexis on.
	77	Özil and Higuaín had a good chance now, but both hesitated with the ball which led to their loss of it.
	79	Alexis finds Messi and he fires the ball home, the ref spoils the celebration by calling offside.
	80	Messi in another chance, Varane proves he's an elite back.
	80	Messi again, this time López came out to steal the ball from his feet.
	81	Goal for Real! A corner kick by Özil results in the game-tying goal! Mesut found RAPHAËL VARANE in the penalty area and the defender put it into the bottom corner to give Pinto no chance to stop it.
	82	Barcelona captain Carles Puyol gets a yellow.
	83	Real suddenly looking very confident out there.
	84	Barcelona back on the ball, trying to regain the lead.
	85	Fabregas goes off the field as he's substituted by Thiago.
	86	We're heading into very interesting final minutes with Barcelona in possession.
	88	Both teams want to win, but Barcelona goes for it more now, Alba denied by López.
	89	Corner kick by Xavi is too long.
	89	Alonso gets a yellow after taking down Messi.
	90	Real takes possession after a foul on Arbeloa.
	90+1	Three minutes to be added on.
	90+3	Both teams had opportunities, but Özil gives his team a corner kick.
	90+3	Alves gets to the ball first, but it will be another corner kick.
	90+3	Big pressure for Real in the area, both shots by Modrić and Özil are blocked.
		Game over.
		Barcelona survived the final moments, the game ended in a tie. We'll get to know who will get to the finals in the second leg that will be played at Camp Nou in Barcelona. (22:54:32)

Commentary by

Radoslav Vavřina

Goals & lineups

Goals: 81. Varane - 50. Fàbregas

Cards: 16. Carvalho (REA), 42. Callejón (REA), 89. Alonso (REA) - 2. Piqué (BAR), 72. Alves (BAR), 82. Puyol (BAR)

Real Madrid: Diego López - Essien, Varane, Ricardo Carvalho, Arbeloa - José Callejón, Khedira, Özil, Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo - Benzema

FC Barcelona: Pinto - Dani Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Jardi Alba - Xavi, Busquets, Fàbregas, Pedro, Messi, Iniesta

Referees: Clos - Calvo, Marco

Second match

Tuesday 26.02.2013