An excellent defensive performance and an own goal from Eder Militao gave Barcelona a 1-0 first-leg win in Thursday's Copa del Rey semi-final.
This contest was always going to come down to the battle between in-form defender Ronald Araujo and devastating attacker Vincius Junior. Araujo won it. Decisively. His terrific showing kept the Brazilian quiet, nullifying Real Madrid's main attacking threat in a sublime rear-guard effort.
Barcelona were opportunistic enough at the other end, nicking a goal to take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
They opened the scoring despite waves of Madrid pressure. Really, it was a gift to Xavi from Carlo Ancelotti's men. Eduardo Camavinga gave the ball away far too easily in midfield, allowing Franck Kessie to run through on goal. His shot ricocheted off Eder Militao and into the back of the net.
The Blaugrana steadily asserted their authority on the match after, and cruised into half-time with a steady 1-0 lead.
And it was all fairly simple from there, with Real Madrid never finding the extra gear they used to turn Liverpool to record-breaking losers at Anfield.
Barcelona were without Pedri, Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele, but with a defence that has conceded the fewest goals in Europe, it didn't matter.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Santiago Bernabeu…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Ronald Araujo
What a performance.
Vinicius Junior is one of the most dangerous wingers in Europe at the moment, and Araujo had him feeding off scraps all evening. It was the kind of composed showing that opponents have often lacked against the Brazilian. Araujo was physical without being reckless, ensuring that Vinicius had little room to work with.
There was, of course, the occasional piece of gamesmanship. Vinicius was still fouled five times, and Araujo clearly frustrated the winger with the odd nudge and push. But it was a clever bending of the rules, not an overtly aggressive performance.
The two have been matched up against each other twice this season, and Araujo has won both duels – a feat that no other defender in Europe has achieved.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Eduardo Camavinga
The France international has been excellent of late, but he was poor here. Camavinga wasn't as composed as usual at the No. 6 and was responsible for Barcelona's opener with a lazy back pass that allowed Franck Kessie to run in on goal.
But it wasn't just one moment. Camavinga was loose in possession throughout and lacked the fluidity that the rest of his team brought. There were some encouraging passages of play, especially as Madrid upped the tempo in the second half. Still, he was lacking when he needed to be at his best.
Ancelotti made an interesting call to select him over his France compatriot Aurelien Tchouameni, and it looks like the Madrid boss made the wrong choice.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Frenkie de Jong
De Jong needed to have a big night here. With Madrid in good form, Pedri out, and Barca having to field a slightly different lineup, it was on De Jong to boss the midfield.
And he did. Xavi switched the Dutch international to a right-sided centre-midfield role, and the 24-year-old shone throughout, cutting passing lanes, making tackles and showing adventure on the ball with a series of smart forward runs. This was always going to be a tricky one for Barca, especially given the number of injuries they are dealing with. But De Jong's presence made it all slightly easier, which was crucial in giving the Blaugrana a 1-0 first-leg triumph. These performances have started to come more regularly for a player that is sneakily coming into his own in a Barcelona kit.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Vinicius Junior
Vinicius has made a bit of a habit of being vocal with referees this season, often with good reason. The winger has consistently been kicked off the park, while officials have been reluctant to protect him.
But this time, when he got in referee Jose Munuera's face, the Brazilian didn't really have any ground for complaint. He'd been completely blanked from the game by an excellent Arauajo and steadily lost his head over the course of the contest. None of his usual bag of tricks and flicks worked, and some old wasteful habits reared their head.
Vinicius didn't get around Araujo once and skewed a couple of shots wide when he could've passed to an open team-mate. He wasn't the only Madrid player culpable for a lack of composure, but given how much he was on the ball and expectations entering the match, his poor performance stood out.