Real Madrid CF lost the opening leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals against Barcelona.
In front of their home crowd for the first time in 11 months, Real Madrid CF is upset at home by Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Semifinals on Thursday. Barcelona defeated the defending La Liga winners 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Madrid had been unbeaten at home since April 2022, a record that extended 15 matches across all competitions. But, their great home record came to an end on Sunday as they were unable to break down a tenacious Barcelona defense.
Despite having multiple chances during the game, Madrid were unable to score. In addition, they suffer from the absence of many significant players.
The setback for Los Blancos comes at a critical time in the first leg of the Cup del Rey. They will need to recover in the second leg if they are to win the championship.
Ultimately, Real Madrid’s loss to Barcelona at home was a surprise, highlighting the unpredictable nature of sport.
Real Madrid CF vs FC Barcelona
In a fiery first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal on Thursday, a tough Barcelona outshot Real Madrid and beat them 1-0. When Real center-back Eder Militao scored an own goal in the opening period, the visitors played outstanding defense.
In the 26th minute, Real Madrid player Eduardo Camavinga sent a back pass to Ferran Torres, who swiftly responded to slip the ball to Franck Kessie for Barcelona’s winning goal. His direct shot was blocked, but Militao’s save caused it to rebound and go in.
Because Kessie was marginally onside, the goal stayed despite the assistant referee’s offside indication. On April 5, the teams rematch in Barcelona, with the winners going on to play Athletic Club or Osasuna in the championship game.