An early goal from Angel di Maria has given Real Madrid a 1-0 lead over Barcelona at half time in the Copa del Rey final this evening.

Gareth Bale had two chances to put Los Blancos ahead in the opening 10 minutes, drilling his first just wide before forcing a corner with his second effort.

However, it did not take Real long to break the deadlock, as Karim Benzema picked out Di Maria, who took the ball into the box before sending his strike in low.

Barcelona wanted a penalty when Neymar clashed with Fabio Coentrao inside the penalty area, but the referee was not interested, resulting in an altercation between players from both sides.

Bale continued to pose a threat and tried to set Di Maria up for his second of the night, but his finish was easily claimed by Jose Manuel Pinto, while a later delivery from the Welshman almost gave Isco a goal.

Barca's best chance of the half fell to Lionel Messi shortly before the break, but he mishit his effort from just inside the box, dragging it well wide.

Written by
Sian Cowper