Copa del Rey: Carlo Ancelotti, Xavi react as Real Madrid comes from behind to oust Barcelona in semis
By Ayush Gupta | First Published Apr 6, 2023, 11:56 AM ISTCopa de Rey: Real Madrid was trailing 0-1 in the semis opening leg at home but bounced back in style to hammer Barcelona 4-0 in the away leg on Wednesday to seal its place in the final, as Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi have reacted on it.
Spanish champion Real Madrid was in a pressure situation heading into the second leg of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. Having lost the opening leg 0-1 to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, it would always be arduous to bounce back at Camp Nou. Nevertheless, it was familiar territory for Los Blancos.
The visitors not just bounced back but did it in style, hammering the hosts 4-0 and winning 4-1 on aggregate to seal its place in the event's final, where it would be taking on Osasuna on May 6 at the Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla. While Vinicius Junior opened Madrid's scoring at the stroke of half-time, Karim Benzema's hat-trick in the 50th, 58th and 80th minutes got the job done.
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Following the engaging match, Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti said, "We played a great game. The first goal changed the dynamics. We found more space in the transitions. A bit hard at first, but in the second half, we did very well. We did not panic when they pressed and knew how to take advantage of the spaces in transitions. We played the perfect match."
"He [Benzema] has done a perfect job in the [international] break, he has found optimum condition, and his quality makes the difference, without a doubt. He has flicked the switch. He is still one of the best players in the world, without a doubt. If he's fit, he's one of the best. He can win another Ballon d'Or because he is one of the best forwards in the world," concluded Ancelotti, reports FotMob.
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— M•A•J (@Ultra_Suristic)On the other hand, the Catalan's boss Xavi was left frustrated, as he told Movistar+, "It is a difficult night to digest. It is football. You have to compete better. We competed well until 1-0. They are moments that we have to stop. We could have also eliminated the 2-0 moment. In short, they are details that we have to control."
"I already said yesterday that Madrid was the favourite. We cannot argue that they are a great team. They are the La Liga and Champions League champions and do not forgive. When you don't kill Madrid, they kill you. It is a tough result, but we have to focus on the league," concluded Xavi.
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