MADRID: Real Madrid couldn’t put Barcelona away when they had the chance, and ended up being dealt a hard blow by their biggest rivals.

In the first of two consecutive games between the Spanish powerhouses at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Barca weathered a dominant first half by Real and then scored three times after the break for a 3-0 win Wednesday and a spot in the Copa del Rey final for a sixth straight season.

“I have to admit that we didn’t play very well in the first half,” said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde after his 100th match in charge. “We scored three goals but didn’t have that many chances. It happens sometimes.”

Luis Suarez scored twice as Barca advanced 4-1 on aggregate after being held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semi-finals at Camp Nou three weeks ago. The Catalans also benefited from an own goal by Real defender Raphael Varane.

“They were a lot more efficient than we were,” Real coach Santiago Solari said. “We created many chances but couldn’t score. They scored with their first shot on goal, and then with their second shot on goal. They hurt us when they had their chance.”

Barca will be trying to win an unprecedented fifth straight Copa title in the May 25 final in Seville.

Real haven’t made it to the Copa final since they won their last title in 2014 against Barca. They haven’t defeated their rivals in five matches in all competitions, since the Spanish Super Cup in 2017.

A dominant yet wasteful Real ravaged their rivals in the first half of a wild Clasico while spurning a string of clear chances.

Yet Barca went ahead against the run of play in the 50th minute as Ousmane Dembele led a counter-attack and Suarez slotted his pass into the net.

Spearheaded by the pace and confidence of Brazilian teenager Vinicius Jr, Real continued to fly forward but failed to find the target.

Barca effectively killed off the tie when Raphael Varane bundled the ball into his own net as he tried to prevent Suarez reaching another cross from Dembele.

Suarez then earned a penalty and further humiliated Real by converting with an audacious ‘Panenka’, deceiving goalkeeper Keylor Navas by chipping the ball into the net. He now has 11 goals in 13 games against Madrid.

“We have other players apart from Leo Messi that can score goals,” Valverde said. “Luis’ numbers are incredible, historic for Barca. We know he is always there.”

After beating Sevilla 4-2 on Sunday, the Catalans appear to have rediscovered their groove.

“It was a complete performance,” said Suarez. “We knew it would have to be.”

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2019