5.58 AM Tuesday, 19 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 05:07 06:20 12:29 15:54 18:33 19:47
19 March 2024

Real win Copa del Rey over Barca after Bale stunner

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid reacts after scoring Real's second goal during the Copa del Rey Final between Real Madrid and Barcelona at Estadio Mestalla on April 16, 2014 in Valencia, Spain. (GETTY)

Published
By Football Correspondent and Agencies

Gareth Bale raced clear to score a stunning late winner as Real Madrid made light of the absence of top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo to beat arch-rivals Barcelona 2-1 to win the Spanish King's Cup on Wednesday.

Wales winger Bale, who joined Real for a world record fee in the close season, sped down the left wing into the penalty area in the 85th minute at Valencia's Mestalla stadium and slipped the ball superbly between the legs of Barca goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.

Angel Di Maria had put Real ahead in the 11th minute when he finished off a swift break before Marc Bartra headed in from Xavi's corner in the 68th to make it 1-1.

Barca had a chance to send the match into extra time in the 89th minute when Neymar found space in the area but his stabbed effort crashed back off a post.

"I think the team played a fabulous match tonight in a very entertaining game," Real captain Iker Casillas said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster TVE.

"We are happy for all the fans who came here to Valencia tonight," added the Spain keeper, who was beaten only once, by Bartra's goal, in nine matches in this season's Cup.

"Now we have to enjoy this moment and think about the league and the Champions League."

It was Real's 19th victory in Spain's domestic Cup competition, seven fewer than record winners Barca, and their second in four years after they beat the Catalan club 1-0 in the 2011 showpiece.

Carlo Ancelotti's Real side still have a chance of becoming only the second team after Barca in 2009 to win a treble of La Liga, Champions League and King's Cup titles in one season.

They are second in the domestic league, three points behind leaders Atletico Madrid with five games left, and play holders Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of Europe's elite club competition this month.

For Barca a nightmare week comes to an end when they were dumped out of Europe by Atletico and suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Granada in La Liga that left them four points off the top.

Portugal captain Ronaldo missed the match due to knee and thigh muscle problems in his left leg but Real expect him to be fit to face Bayern.

FULL TIME

Barcelona 1 (Bartra 69") Real Madrid 2 (Di Maria 10" Bale 84)

Real Madrid got their revenge against arch-rivals Barcelona after they beat them 2-1 in the final of the Copa del Rey at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on Wednesday night.

Real had lost to Barca in the 2011 final and also in both their La LIga matches.

A goal in each half by Angel Di Maria (10th) and Gareth Bale (84th) enabled Carlo Ancelotti's side win the season's first major title after Marc Bartra had kept Barcelona's hopes alive with a goal in the 69th minute.

Taking the field without Cristiano Ronaldo, Real began on a positive note and it paid off after the hard-working Di Maria found the net, albeit through a weak shot -- Pinto just getting his glove to the ball to direct it into an empty net.

Barca on the other hand looked rusty with Lionel Messi totally off colour.

The match failed to live up to expectations in the first half and barring the goal and three yellow cards to Neymar, Pepe and Isco there was nothing much to shout about.

The second half saw Barcelona dominate and Messi too seemed in control. After some futile raids into the Real goal it took a corner for them to find the equaliser.

The Real defence was caught napping with this floater from Xavi and unmarked Marc Bartra headed to the far top left corner giving a lunging Casillas no chance whatsoever.

However, the best goal was by Gareth Bale. A solo run almost from the halfway line culminated in the Welshman finding the net through the legs of Pinto.

With minutes ticking away Barca were denied an equaliser through the woodwork after Neymar chipped over a charging Casillas.

 

90+3" It's all over for Barca as the referee has blown the long whistle.

90+2" Last minute and Barca earn a corner and goalkeeper Pinto comes up but Ramos clears.

90" Three minutes added.

89" Barca's best chance to equalise but the woodwork denies Neymar after Xavi's defence-splitting through ball.

87" YELLOW! Xabi Alonso is booked and Isco is replaced after doing his job of having a hand in the second goal.

87" Real threaten to seal the Cup with another move and its Bale to Benzema who has a shot but Pinto gets his glove to it.

Barcelona 1 (Bartra 69") Real Madrid 2 (Di Maria 10" Bale 84)

84" GOAL! Another counter from Real. Isco finds Bale on the halway line and although Bartra challenges him the Welsh player is too powerful and with a solo run finds the net playing the ball between Pinto's legs.

83" Adriano tests Casillas with a power-packed shot but the keeper is unmoved.

81" Superb shot here from Modric after Di Maria does the spadework but the ball kisses the post and goes out.

78" Messi is slowly back into the thick of action, dribbling and manoeuvering his way into the Real area.

75" Fifteen minutes to go. Will it go into penalties?

72" The spark seems to have come back into the Barca team who until the goal looked down and out.

Barcelona 1 (Bartra 69") Real Madrid 1 (Di Maria 10")

69" GOAL! Marc Bartra scores from a header off a corner giving Casillas no chance whatsoever. The Real defence was caught napping.

66" There is confusion there as Bale nets from a corner but referee blows the whistle. Could have been some infringement.

65" Real's counter has been terrific tonight. Here Benzema comes close to scoring but Pinto poushes it out. 

64" Bartra comes up with a surprise shot from abut 30 yards testing Casillas but the goalkeeper is equal to the challenge.

62" Another corner for Real and Alonso fires his 25-yard shot over.

61" Benzema's header off a corner is straight at Pinto.

59" Fabregas is replaced by Pedro.

58" Messi, Neymar and Fabregas on the prowl but Di Maria does well to fall back and rescue the situation.

54" A poor clearance from Busquets sees the ball land nicely for Bale on top of the box. The Welshman slaloms his left-footer just sailing over and then holds his head in his hands.

52" YELLOW! Mascherano catches a surging Pepe on the wrong side and is rightly booked.

48" Messi sends his free-kick wide off the mark. He seems unhappy with the Real wall too close for comfort.

47" Barcelona were all over the Real goal but could not break through. Instead Real got into a counter and Bale came close to scoring but side-foots it into the side netting. 

It's a surprise as Jordi Alba, Barcelona's best player of the first half is replaced by Adriano. It may be to do with some injury.

Players are back from the tunnel as the second half action is set to begin.

HALF TIME

Barcelona 0 Real Madrid 1 (Di Maria 10")

45" No extra time as the referee blows the whistle.

44" Di Maria has been working tirelessly on the right flank. His cross to Benzema sees the Frenchman shoot wide.

41" Messi has his first good shot at the Real goal from the top of the box. No danger though but the Argentine showed he cannot be discarded so easily.

37" Good counter from Real as Di Maria gets the ball in his own half and finds Benzema with a long ball. The Frenchman tries to find Bale but Alves cuts it off.

35" Jordi Alba who has been all over the field comes to Barca's rescue just before Isco can have a crack at goal.

34" Messi has his first shot at the Real goal but his effort is so weak that the ball goes rolling to Casillas.

30" Half an hour of play gone and Messi looks like a spectator on the field.

26" Neymar dribbles his way into the Real box but back-passes to Xavi who shoots over.

24" Barcelona settling in nicely now as Messi finds Alba on the left who crosses for Neymar but the ball is a bit high for the Brazilian to nod home.

22" Alba once again proves a threat but this time fails to pack a punch with his shot in front of goal.

20" Iniesta to Fabregas lovely cross goes abegging as Messi and Neymar just struts their way as the ball goes out.

16" YELLOW! Neymar has a spat with Coentrao but Pepe steps in and gets into an unnecessary scuffle with Neymar off the ball. Both are booked. 

14" Neymar cross into the box and Alba does well to relay to Fabregas but the ball is cleared in time.

Barcelona 0 Real Madrid 1 (Di Maria 10")

10" GOAL! Bale to Isco on the left flank. Isco releases a long ball to Di Maria who beats the off-side trap but luckily for him and Real his weak shot finds its way past Pinto into the net.

6" Bale yet again this time doing well to sell a dummy to Alves but Mascherano comes in the way as Bale's shot deflects off him for a corner.

5" Off the counter Bale's shot from the left goes across the face of goal.

4" Superb passing by Iniesta, Busquets and Alba saw the last named move dangerously into the Real box before Carvajal made a clean tackle.

3" YELLOW! Isco goes down in the referee's book after a harsh tackle on Neymar.

1" Real's Pepe finds overlapping Carvajal on the right but before he can dart in with the ball he is dispossesed by Jordi Alba.

Real gets the game started.

Yes the moment has arrived. The teams have lined up in the middle for the umpteenth time to give it their best shot.

Both teams are out in the middle loosening up as 15 minutes remian for kick-off. Ronaldo is seen on the bench suited and booted as coach Ancelotti declared that he would want his striker for more important games ahead.

Barcelona make four changes as they look to put Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat at lowly Granada behind them. Spain midfield maestro Xavi returns to skipper the side, while Brazil right-back Dani Alves, Spain left-back Jordi Alba and young centre-back Marc Bartra come into a reshuffled back four. Injured goalkeeper Victor Valdes continues to be replaced by Jose Manuel Pinto.

For Madrid, out-of-favour goalkeeper Iker Casillas returns in the Copa del Rey, as he has done all season, in place of Diego Lopez. That is also one of four changes for boss Carlo Ancelotti from the comfortable 4-0 victory against Almeria. Spain centre-back Sergio Ramos - sent off in last month's El Clasico, returns along with defensive midfielder Xabi Alonso and right-back Dani Carvajal.

STARTING XI

Barcelona: Pinto, Alves, Mascherano, Bartra, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar, Messi, Fabregas.

Subs: Oier, Puyol, Adriano, Song, Sergi Roberto, Pedro, Alexis Sanchez.

Real Madrid: Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao, Xabi Alonso, Modric, Bale, Di Maria, Isco, Benzema.

Subs: Diego Lopez, Varane, Casemiro, Nacho, Morata, Illarramendi, Willian Jose.

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona: Gerard Pique returned to training with the team on Tuesdayu, along with Marc Bartra and Carles Puyol, who both missed out at the weekend.

Barcelona are expected to wait until the final hour before deciding whether any one of these three will be able to play. At this point, Puyol is most likely to start.

Real Madrid: Sami Khedira, who has been out for most of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligament returned to training on Monday and could feature from the bench.

PROBABLE FORMATIONS

Barcelona: 4-3-3

Real Madrid: 4-3-3

STAT ATTACK

Real Madrid have kept a clean sheet in their last 8 matches in Copa del Rey.

Barcelona are undefeated in their last 8 matches in Copa del Rey.

Real Madrid have scored at least 2 goals in 8 of their last 10 matches against Barcelona in all competitions.

Real Madrid have won their last 7 matches in Copa del Rey.

Ronaldo to miss clash
 
Real Madrid top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Wednesday's King's Cup final against Barcelona after failing to recover from knee and thigh muscle problems, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday.

The Portugal captain and Ballon d'Or winner has missed Real's last three matches since limping off near the end of the Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Borussia Dortmund on April 2.

Ancelotti said on Friday there was a still a chance Ronaldo might recover for the clash at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia but confirmed at a news conference the player was unavailable.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is out, we have a lot of players sidelined," said Ancelotti, who will also be without longer-term absentees Jese, Sami Khedira, Alvaro Arbeloa and Marcelo.

"But we have a lot of confidence in this team," added the Italian, who declined to answer a question about who would start the Cup final in Ronaldo's absence.

"It has always reacted well to injuries and I think we can also do things very well tomorrow."

The latest edition of Spain's 'Clasico' between arch-rivals Real and Barca is their 228th meeting and a repeat of the 2011 Cup final, also held at the Mestalla, when Ronaldo's extra-time header secured a 1-0 win.

The Portuguese is top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League this season and Ancelotti will be desperate to have him back for the semi-finals of Europe's elite club competition later this month when they play holders Bayern Munich over two legs.

"We are losing a player with incredible quality. But it could be that Cristiano Ronaldo's absence will motivate the rest of the team even more," Ancelotti said.

"The matches we have played without him have gone very well, working harder, running more and working together more.

"Working as a unit is the of course the objective and that is what we have been training for.

"I don't think there will be any problem motivating the players tomorrow, they are all very motivated and very excited. I am seeing a lot of desire to play this final."

NOT TIRED

Ancelotti dismissed a suggestion Real could have avoided Ronaldo's injury if they had given him more rest.

"Cristiano did not rest because there was no need," he told reporters.

"There was no situation we saw that suggested he was tired and if he had been tired he would not have played.

"He has a problem that many players have at this stage of the season.

"We protect Cristiano in the same way we try to protect all the players as much as possible.

"It could be a risk playing him and we are not going to take that risk as there are very important games still to come."

Ancelotti's Barca counterpart Gerardo Martino also has injury worries and is waiting on the fitness of three of his recognised centre backs.

Captain Carles Puyol, who has barely featured this term due to a series of injuries, Gerard Pique and Marc Bartra were all included in the squad for the trip to Valencia and Martino said a decision would be taken on Wednesday whether they could play.

Barca's Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta said he expected Real to be just as much of a threat without Ronaldo.

"The team doesn't change whether he is playing or not," Iniesta told a news conference.

"We know how good they are and we know their potential. If Cristiano doesn't play somebody else at the same level will."

Barca, the record winners with 26 Cups, are looking for a morale-boosting victory after crashing out of the Champions League to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

The followed that up with a shock La Liga reverse at Granada on Saturday that left them four points behind leaders Atletico and one adrift of Real with five games left.