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Real Madrid have advanced to the final of the Copa del Rey in stunning fashion, defeating Barcelona 4-0 in the second leg of the semi-final. Despite trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Carlo Ancelotti's men delivered a scintillating performance that will be remembered for years to come.
The victory is a historic result for Real Madrid and a testament to their resilience and determination. While they may have fallen behind in the La Liga race, this win is a reminder that Real Madrid can still rise to the occasion and compete at the highest level.
The first half looked to be a deadlock as both teams were unable to take advantage of created chances. However, just before the break, Vinicius Junior stepped up and opened the scoring, leveling the tie on aggregate and giving Madrid a much-needed boost.
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Madrid came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. Karim Benzema took the game by the scruff of the neck, putting in a history-making performance by scoring a hat-trick and leading his team to victory.
Here are five astonishing statistics from Real Madrid's dominant performance in the most recent El Clasico.
#5 Biggest away win over Barcelona in 60 years
In January 1963, Real Madrid achieved their largest victory over Barcelona in 60 years, with a 5-1 win at the Camp Nou. This remarkable feat was marked by a hat-trick from the legendary Ferenc Puskas, as well as goals from club icons Alfredo Di Stefano and Paco Gento.
#4 Karim Benzema's hat-trick
In a historic El Clasico match, Karim Benzema achieved a feat that even Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't match - he scored a magnificent hat-trick. The No.9 joined an exclusive list of only six players since the 1980s who have managed to score three goals in this legendary fixture. He became the first European to do so since Gary Lineker in 1987.
Benzema also etched his name in Madrid's history books by becoming the first player since Puskas in 1963 to score a hat-trick at the Camp Nou. This incredible performance by Benzema will go down as one of the greatest moments in El Clasico history.
#3 Four goals in a match versus Barcelona
Madrid fans had reason to celebrate after their team's recent El Clasico victory over Barcelona. It was a historic moment as Madrid scored four goals, a feat they hadn't achieved in over a decade. The last time they did it was back in May 2008, when they defeated Barcelona 4-1 at the Bernabeu.
The game was also notable for the fact that Barcelona had just been crowned La Liga champions and Madrid had given them a guard of honor prior to kick-off. This time around, Madrid fans were thrilled to be on the winning side, and they'll be hoping for more victories over their arch-rivals in the future.
#2 Back-to-back hat-tricks for Benzema
Karim Benzema, the star striker for Madrid, is on fire! He has just accomplished an impressive feat by scoring back-to-back hat-tricks in two consecutive games. His previous hat-trick was particularly impressive as he managed to score three goals in just seven minutes during Real Madrid's match against Real Valladolid over the weekend.
#1 First Copa del Rey final since 2014
Los Blancos are set to play in their first Copa del Rey final in almost a decade, with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm once again. The last time Madrid reached the final of this competition was back in 2014, when they won 2-1 against Barcelona in a thrilling encounter.
It was a night to remember for Madrid fans, as Gareth Bale scored one of the most iconic goals in the club's recent history, sprinting past Marc Bartra before calmly slotting the ball past Pinto in goal. Ancelotti will be hoping for a similar performance from his team this time around, as they look to lift the Copa del Rey trophy once again.
