Real Madrid 0-1 Barcelona: Blaugrana advantage in the Copa del Rey Clasico
A Militao own goal was the difference between the two sides in the semifinal first leg
It's advantage Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinal against Real Madrid after they won 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday.
Eder Militao scored the only goal of the game, putting the ball through his own net after Thibaut Courtois had saved from Franck Kessie.
Madrid didn't manage a single shot on target as they looked for a way back into the match despite Barca missing four regular starters.
The two teams will meet in the second leg at Camp Nou at the beginning of April, although they face each other before then on March 19 in LaLiga, also at Camp Nou.
Barça were already without Robert Lewandowski, Pedri and Ousmane Dembele through injury when Andreas Christensen was deemed not fit to start.
With so many key players missing, they ended up ceding the possession to Madrid, but the home side struggled to create any clear openings.
The game's only goal arrived just before the half hour mark when Eduardo Camavinga gave the ball away.
Ferran Torres fed Kessie and Courtois saved the Ivorian's shot, but Militao turned the ball into his own net, despite Nacho Fernandez's best attempts to keep it out.
Madrid remained in possession but struggled to break Barça down. Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kounde were particularly good, but Marcos Alonso, filling in for Christensen, and Alejandro Balde also stood up.
In fact, it was Barça who could have scored a second goal. Kessie's shot appeared to be heading in when it took a deflection of substitute Ansu Fati and bobbled wide.
Madrid turned to their bench but substitute Rodrygo shot wide and the game ended without Carlo Ancelotti's side having a shot on target.
One Clasico down, two to go. Advantage Barça. In LaLiga and the Copa.
