Real Madrid secured a 3-0 win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu this evening.

A deflected effort from Pepe left Los Blancos ahead at the interval, before Jese Rodriguez made it 2-0 just before the hour mark with a close-range finish.

The home side had their third 15 minutes from time when Angel di Maria's long-range strike deflected off Miranda and past Thibaut Courtois.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two capital rivals.

Match statistics

Real Madrid
Shots: 20
On target: 7
Possession: 71%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 16

Atletico Madrid
Shots: 8
On target: 3
Possession: 29%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 17

Was the result fair?

There is no question that Real Madrid deserved to win this evening, but a three-goal margin is perhaps slightly harsh on Atletico. The visitors hardly threatened throughout the 90 minutes, but they were compact in defence for long periods and two deflected efforts went a long way to helping the home side secure a comprehensive victory ahead of the second leg. That said, Atletico were far from their best in the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid's performance

In short, Los Blancos were nothing short of brilliant this evening. For once a certain Cristiano Ronaldo took a step back and it was Jese and Di Maria that really impressed for Carlo Ancelotti's team. Their continued defensive improvement was there for all to see, while their passing and movement in the final third was exemplary. It certainly appears that the capital outfit are hitting top form at the right time of the season. It was a terrific all-round display.

Atletico Madrid's performance

In truth, this was just about Atletico's most disappointing performance of the season. Diego Simeone's side have built their campaign on high-intensity pressing in the middle of the park, but that was simply not present this evening. Due to the absence of Spanish forward David Villa, Simeone went with a different formation, but it failed to threaten Los Blancos. Atletico were incredibly unlucky with two of Real Madrid's goals, which both took big deflections, but they did not do enough in the final third.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Jese Rodriguez: Is Gareth Bale going to get back in the Real Madrid XI when he returns to fitness? Such questions have arisen due to the form of Jese, who was just sensational this evening. The Spaniard scored his side's second with a clever finish, while Atletico struggled to deal with his pace and movement in the final third. In this form, Ancelotti will struggle to leave him out.

Biggest gaffe

Put simply, Real Madrid right-back Alvaro Arbeloa should have been sent off in the first period. Just outside his own box and with the referee nowhere to be seen, the Spaniard raked his foot down the Achilles of Atletico forward Diego Costa. Late challenges can be accepted in this type of match, but it was a really poor piece of play from Arbeloa.

Referee performance

Is there a more difficult match to referee in European football? Referee Clos Gomez came under increasing pressure this evening as the late challenges and off-the-ball incidents continued to occur, but the Spaniard used his intelligence when reviewing each situation. In truth, it was a minor miracle that he managed to keep all 22 players on the field. Alongside Arbeloa, Pepe was also perhaps lucky not to be given his marching orders.

What next?

Real Madrid: Los Blancos return to league action this weekend with a home fixture against Villarreal on Saturday evening.

Atletico Madrid: Atletico will attempt to consolidate top spot in La Liga when they make the trip to Almeria on Saturday evening.