Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona FT

Eric Adibal scored a late winner for Barcelona against bitter rivals Real Madrid who take a one goal lead into the second leg of the Copa Del Rey quarter final next week.

Barcelona gained control of possession early on but struggled to break down the resolute Real Madrid backline which featured Ricardo Carvalho for the first time in 3 months.

Ronaldo opened the scoring 15 minutes in with a left footed drive between the legs of Barcelona backup keeper Pinto, after a lovely through ball from Karim Benzema.

And the game once more dissolved into a tempestuous affair before half-time and the theatrics of Madrid’s Pepe earned Gerard Pique a yellow card, while Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets lived up to reputation with a number of pathetic tumbles.

Barcelona equalised almost immediately after the restart, talismanic captain Carles Puyol firing home a bullet header from Xavi’s corner.

But with so much on the line, the match became a stop-start affair, Busquets and Pepe again showcased their gymnastic abilities, with a string of embarrassing dives, the Portuguese defender following up a poor display of sportsmanship with a blatant stamp on Messi.

But the Catalan side continued to dominate with the ball and exhibited a trademark passage of control and possession, infuriating the home crowd who were baying for blood.

And the winner came from an unlikely source as Barcelona took the lead on the 78^th minute, Messi fashioning a chance out of nothing with a lobbed through ball over the top, and Abidal slotted the ball calmly past Casillas, giving Barcelona a slender aggregate lead going into the second leg at the Camp Nou next week.

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