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Copa del Rey

Semi final, first leg

Real Madrid 1 - Barcelona 1

Madrid: Diego López; Essien, Varane, Carvalho, Arbeloa; Khedira, Xabi Alonso; Callejón (Modric 57'), Özil, Cristiano Ronaldo; Benzema (Higuaín 62'). 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Pinto; Dani Alves, Puyol, Piqué, Jordi Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Fàbregas (Thiago 84'); Pedro (Alexis 75'), Messi, Iniesta. 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 50. Fàbregas. Ran on to shoot past Diego López after Messi played ball on.
1-1. 80. Varane. Got above defence to head Özil's long cross down past Pinto.

Yellow cards: Piqué 01', Carvalho 15', Callejón 41', Dani Alves 71', Puyol 83', Xabi Alonso 89'.

Honours were shared in the Bernabeu stadium, with Real Madrid and Barcelona playing out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their semi-final. As expected, it was an intense "clásico", with Pinto having to save a Ronaldo free kick as early as the second minute. Later in the first half Xavi rattled the bar with a free kick and then had a shot cleared off the line by Varane after a mix up between Carvalho and new keeper Diego López, and either side of half time Benzema put a couple of good chances wide of the target. Five minutes after the restart though a wayward clearance by Callejón was played back in to the area by Messi, and Fàbregas ran on to put the visitors ahead. Soon afterwards Varane and Piqué made vital tackles from Fàbregas and Ronaldo, who had just missed a header from close up minutes earlier, and Pedro got free on goal only to curl his shot wide. With ten minutes to go however Varane got above his markers to connect with Özil's cross and head home the equalizer, setting up a mouth-watering second leg in the Nou Camp in a month's time.