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Real Madrid ease past Barcelona to reach Copa del Rey final

Madrid ease past Barca to reach Copa del Rey final
© PA Photos
Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice as Real Madrid end Barcelona's 22-match unbeaten stretch at home and reach the final of the Copa del Rey 4-2 on aggregate.

Real Madrid trounced Barcelona at the Camp Nou to win the El Clasico Copa del Rey semi-final 4-2 on aggregate this evening.

The two sides went into tonight's match level at one apiece after the reverse at the Bernabeu but Madrid's finishing proved far superior on the night as they ended Barca's 22-match unbeaten run.

Early on the home side threatened and Lionel Messi dragged a right-footed shot just wide from a tight angle inside 90 seconds.

Madrid had the opportunity to take a surprise lead in the 13th minute when Cristiano Ronaldo just had Gerard Pique to beat and did a pair of stepovers to put the Spaniard off-balance before sprinting past him and tumbling under his sliding challenge.

The Real number seven picked himself up and sent Jose Manuel Pinto the wrong way to put Los Blancos in front.

Barcelona had a pair of penalty appeals waved away by referee Alberto Undiano before Messi fired a free kick around the wall but just wide of the post before the break.

The hosts continued to hold most of the possession at the start of the second period but Real stunned them with a quickfire counter-attack to go two ahead and effectively kill off the tie.

Xabi Alonso volleyed clear a Barca attack and Angel di Maria collected the ball and jinxed inside and out to put Carles Puyol on his backside before seeing his shot kept out by Pinto.

However, the loose ball popped up for Ronaldo who chested down and rolled it into the net from a few yards.

Ten minutes later it was three when athletic centre-back Raphael Varane rose above Pique to head Mesut Ozil's corner in off the underside of the crossbar.

Because of away goals, that meant Barcelona required four goals in the final 20 minutes.

It looked as if they wouldn't find a consolation at all but Jordi Alba poked home Andres Iniesta's inch-perfect pass from a narrow angle in the 89th minute.

Madrid will go on to face either Atletico Madrid or Sevilla, who contest their second leg with Atletico leading 2-1 tomorrow, in the final.

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Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal against Celta Vigo on January 9, 2013
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid31246167204778
2Barcelona31217362342870
3GironaGirona31205663392465
4Atletico MadridAtletico31194859362361
5Athletic Bilbao321610652302258
6Real Sociedad311311745331250
7Valencia31138103432247
8Real BetisBetis31111283837145
9Villarreal31109124954-539
10Getafe31912103743-639
11Osasuna31116143644-839
12Las PalmasLas Palmas31107142935-637
13Sevilla31810133944-534
14AlavesAlaves3188152638-1232
15Mallorca31613122536-1131
16Rayo Vallecano31613122538-1331
17Celta Vigo31610153346-1328
18CadizCadiz31413142141-2025
19Granada3239203361-2818
20Almeria31111193062-3214


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