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MOTD- Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona

By on April 16, 2014

There was undoubtedly a glimpse of the future on view as Real Madrid triumphed over Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey final. Not of a future in which Madrid dominate Barcelona, but there was glimpses of the unavoidable future in which El Clasico is no long focused on the performances of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – instead Neymar and Gareth Bale’s showings. For while Ronaldo was forced to watch from the stands due to injury and Messi hardly got a touch of the ball, not that he did anything special when he did, the match was decided on who created, and finished their chances to win themselves their first taste of silverware at their new club, Bale or Neymar.

Each where their club’s respective bright spots, yet in the end only Bale came away from his first ever cup final with something to show for his efforts. To be fair, Neymar earned a good hard pat on the back for his performance on the night, and of course a reservation for his place in Barca’s starting eleven, but Bale came away with the first ever senior trophy of his career. And it was his goal that gave Madrid that win, a goal he thoroughly deserved after quite a man of the match performance.

Just five minutes into the match Welsh winger was threatening the Barca goal, bursting into the box down the left and flashing a low effort wide of the far post, warning Blaugrana right-back Jordi Alba of the torrid time which he would be given throughout the match. Moments later Bale’s dipping shot from the edge of the box was tipped just wide by the lunging leg of Marc Barta, before Real finally managed to find the back of the net ten minutes in. Although Bale wasn’t directly involved in the goal it was still a piece of art from Madrid, who broke forward on the break as Karim Benzema curled a through ball into the run of Angel Di Maria. Di Maria was slightly offside yet did not get pulled back by referee Mateu Lahoz, and slammed a low shot into the bottom corner once just inside the Barca penalty box.

Barca surprisingly failed to muster up any sort of threatening response, but Bale continued to shine for Real. While only a poor pass from Di Maria stopped the winger from being out in on goal late in the first half, just seconds into the second period Bale once again found him on on goal. This time he found the space after bamboozling Barca defenders on the edge of the box and breaking in on goal to the left of the frame. However, the winger caught the ball slightly under his feet and only managed to poke a low effort into the side-netting. He would not stop at searching for a goal to top of his night, though, and nearly found one fifty-four minutes in when he lashed a twenty yard half-volley inches over the crossbar. Bale looked like he had gotten one soon after, only to see his headed goal disallowed for offside. But then everything went horrible wrong for Real.

Sixty-eight minutes in Barta rose up to meet a Barca corner from the right at the near post, before flicking a beautiful header into the far corner of the net off the post. Luka Modric almost put Madrid back in front a dozen minutes later, skimming the post with a twenty-five yard shot, but Barca also found themselves denied a second when Pepe lunged in to poke the ball out from under Neymar as the forward was about to pull the trigger from ten yards.

It looked like somebody would definitely get a late winner, and of course, Bale did. The 24-year-old broke away down the left from deep inside his own half, and although Alba attempted to ram him off the ball near the halfway line, Bale kept on his feet and somehow managed to get past the Spanish defender prior to zipping inside towards goal. The former Tottenham Hotspur starlet poked a low shot through the open legs of José Pinto, and gave Real what looked to be a late winner.

The goal was incredible, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it. It looked like the ball was going out and he was under pressure, he ran off the pitch to keep it in, it was just amazing.” – Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso

There was only five minutes left, but Neymar still had a glorious chance to make it level again and force the final into extra time as Cesc Fàbregas slipped him in one-on-one with Madrid ‘keeper Iker Casillas through a pocket in the Real’s back-line. Yet it would turn out to be Bale’s night, and Neymar’s poked ten yard effort rebounded back out off the inside of the right hand post.
Man of the Match: Gareth Bale

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.