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Feb 26, 2013 at 8pm UK
 
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Real Madrid ease past Barcelona to reach Copa del Rey final

:Headline: Result: Real Madrid ease past Barcelona to reach Copa del Rey final: ID:71417: from db_amp
Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice as Real Madrid end Barcelona's 22-match unbeaten stretch at home and reach the final of the Copa del Rey 4-2 on aggregate.

Real Madrid trounced Barcelona at the Camp Nou to win the El Clasico Copa del Rey semi-final 4-2 on aggregate this evening.

The two sides went into tonight's match level at one apiece after the reverse at the Bernabeu but Madrid's finishing proved far superior on the night as they ended Barca's 22-match unbeaten run.

Early on the home side threatened and Lionel Messi dragged a right-footed shot just wide from a tight angle inside 90 seconds.

Madrid had the opportunity to take a surprise lead in the 13th minute when Cristiano Ronaldo just had Gerard Pique to beat and did a pair of stepovers to put the Spaniard off-balance before sprinting past him and tumbling under his sliding challenge.

The Real number seven picked himself up and sent Jose Manuel Pinto the wrong way to put Los Blancos in front.

Barcelona had a pair of penalty appeals waved away by referee Alberto Undiano before Messi fired a free kick around the wall but just wide of the post before the break.

The hosts continued to hold most of the possession at the start of the second period but Real stunned them with a quickfire counter-attack to go two ahead and effectively kill off the tie.

Xabi Alonso volleyed clear a Barca attack and Angel di Maria collected the ball and jinxed inside and out to put Carles Puyol on his backside before seeing his shot kept out by Pinto.

However, the loose ball popped up for Ronaldo who chested down and rolled it into the net from a few yards.

Ten minutes later it was three when athletic centre-back Raphael Varane rose above Pique to head Mesut Ozil's corner in off the underside of the crossbar.

Because of away goals, that meant Barcelona required four goals in the final 20 minutes.

It looked as if they wouldn't find a consolation at all but Jordi Alba poked home Andres Iniesta's inch-perfect pass from a narrow angle in the 89th minute.

Madrid will go on to face either Atletico Madrid or Sevilla, who contest their second leg with Atletico leading 2-1 tomorrow, in the final.

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona14111242142834
2Real Madrid1393128111730
3Atletico MadridAtletico148512181329
4Villarreal137422521425
5Athletic Bilbao146532013723
6Osasuna146441922-322
7GironaGirona146352018221
8Mallorca146351312121
9Real BetisBetis145541616020
10Real Sociedad145361111018
11Celta Vigo145362224-218
12Sevilla145361318-518
13Rayo Vallecano134451314-116
14Leganes143561319-614
15Getafe142751011-113
16AlavesAlaves144191524-913
17Las PalmasLas Palmas143381825-712
18Valencia122461219-710
19Espanyol133191226-1410
20Real ValladolidValladolid142391027-179
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