Barcelona struck the first blow in their Copa del Rey semi-final with Real Madrid on Thursday night as Eder Militao’s own goal separated the two sides.
In their first clash since Barça’s Supercopa de Espana triumph back in January, Los Blancos dominated possession and scoring opportunities but failed to make them count and now have it all to do in the return leg at Camp Nou in early April.
There was a controversial skirmish involving Vinicius Junior and Frenkie de Jong during the first half and some keen lip readers have also picked up on what referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero said later on the incident.
Vinícius Jr. and Frenkie de Jong went at it 😳 pic.twitter.com/tFH3LL70uw
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 2, 2023
As is the case usually with El Clasico, bad tempers and tension was everywhere to be seen at the Santiago Bernabeu.
De Jong has wowed crowds with his fluid midfield play for Barça this season and showed it in full force on Thursday night as he hurdled challenges from Luka Modric and Toni Kroos before running into Vinicius.
The Brazilian challenged for the ball before things got overly physical when De Jong looked to have retained possession. The pair grappled before the Brazilian winger grabbed the Dutchman round the neck as the two players collapsed to the floor.
The collision saw Vinicius given a yellow card, a decision he was left incensed by.
The referee who dished out that caution was Jose Luis Munuera Montero, who had previously only taken charge of one Clasico before Thursday night.
Unfortunate own goal scorer Militao was keen to get in the 39-year-old’s ear over the decision, but was met with a revelation suggesting the outcome could have been worse.
According to Spanish media, Montero told the defender: “Eder, listen to me, it’s red, okay? He grabs him by the neck and throws him to the ground.”
While Montero’s words are somewhat unique, he was probably trying to get Militao off his back by suggesting Vinicius was lucky to remain on the pitch. As to whether he should have been sent off is another debate entirely.
Such incidents have both gone unpunished and treated with extreme persecution in El Clasico’s past and a yellow card seemed an appropriate response to Vinicius’ frustrated challenge and scuffle.
It may not matter so much to Barça fans, who can continue to dream of adding to their Supercopa de Espana triumph with further successes in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. If they complete the job against Real, Xavi’s side will face either Osasuna or Athletic Club in the domestic cup final.
The Catalans resume league duties on Sunday when they host relegation-threatened Valencia.
Credit: 90min.com
