'We cannot talk about Cristiano'- Real Madrid star laments after defeat against Barcelona 

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Copa del Rey Semi Final: Second Leg

What's the story?

Real Madrid star, Casemiro, claimed that there is no point in discussing former talisman Cristiano Ronaldo after they were knocked out by bitter rivals Barcelona in the Semi-Finals of the Copa Del Rey.

In case you didn't know...

Real Madrid crashed out of the Copa Del Rey after last night's 3-0 loss at the hands of Barcelona. Luis Suarez scored twice and Raphel Varane netted in an own goal sent Barcelona into the final of Copa Del Rey for sixth successive time.

Los Blancos were left to rue missed chances in the first half as they were punished later in the match. Barcelona goalie, Marc Andre Ter Stegen, came to the rescue numerous times as Los Blancos forwards Benzema and Vinicius Junior missed crucial chances due to their inefficiency in the final third.

It is crystal clear that Real Madrid are missing the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the record goalscorer for the club. The Portuguese talisman moved to Juventus in the summer and is the top scorer in the Serie A so far with 19 goals.

The heart of the matter

Despite missing their former talisman, the Brazilian defensive midfielder believes that they should not talk about Cristiano as he is not here with the team.

"We can't talk about who isn't here," Casemiro said when asked about Cristiano as quoted by Marca. Cristiano isn't here but a week ago, Karim [Benzema] was the best No.9 in the world. Now we have to fight for who we are. We didn't score but we worked hard, fought a lot and created many chances. But if you don't take those opportunities then the opposition can hurt you a lot and that's what happened.", the Los Blancos star added.

Despite their loss, the Brazilian praised the efforts of 18-year-old teammate Vinicius Junior, who troubled Barcelona defenders throughout the match.

"Speaking only about him is unfair," he added. "He is daring, courageous and not afraid of anything. The level of his play is spectacular for a player of his age." Casemiro concluded.

Barcelona awaits the result of the other semi-final between Valencia and Real Betis to find out who their opponents will be in the final.

What's next?

Los Blancos will get a chance to avenge the defeat as they host Barcelona again this weekend but in the La Liga.