“Better footballer than Xavi” “He is the reason Barca scored 0 goals” – Fans name ‘cold-blooded’ Real Madrid star as MVP in 4-0 El Clasico win

Fans were in awe of Eduardo Camavinga for his role in Real Madrid's 4-0 second-leg (4-1 aggregate) win against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals on April 5.

The French midfielder started as a left-back with Ferland Mendy sidelined due to an injury. He played the full 90 minutes in the unorthodox role and helped his team keep an important clean sheet against the Blaugrana outfit.

The 20-year-old recorded a 100% success rate with his 32 passes and eight tackles. He also managed to make seven clearances and six recoveries and won 10 out of his 14 ground duels (h/t FotMob).

Karim Benzema was the obvious headline-grabber during the game, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist for Vinicius Junior's opening goal. Before kickoff, Real Madrid fans were worried about the left-back position, with Mendy sidelined and David Alaba needed in central defense.

Camavinga can and has played as a left-back under Carlo Ancelotti before, but he is a central midfielder by trade. However, he was excellent against Barcelona and won over Los Blancos fans inside Spotify Camp Nou and online, with some claiming he was the best player on the day.

One fan lauded Camavinga for keeping Raphinha quiet while another backed him to reach the levels of Kroos and Modric. Here are a select few reactions from fans, as found on Twitter:

Camavinga arrived in Madrid from Stade Rennais in the summer of 2021 for a fee of €40 million with add-ons. Despite the presence of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, and Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield, he has featured in all but one of his team's 45 games across competitions this season.

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Carlo Ancelotti backs Real Madrid star to win another Ballon d'Or after El Clasico heroics

Carlo Ancelotti has backed Real Madrid's Karim Benzema to add another Ballon d'Or to his trophy cabinet after his hat-trick in El Clasico against Barcelona.

The Frenchman won the award last year after scoring 44 goals and providing 15 assists in 46 games across competitions. Despite an injury-hit campaign, he has still managed to register 25 goals and six assists in 31 games this term.

Asked if Benzema can win the Ballon d'Or this season, Ancelotti told reporters after the full-time whistle at Spotify Camp Nou (h/t Managing Madrid):

"Why not? He’s still one of the best players in the world. He makes the difference."

With 18 goals and 17 assists in 33 games across competitions this season, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi will also be in the running for the award. PSG, however, are out of the UEFA Champions League while Real Madrid face Chelsea in the quarterfinals later this month.