Karim Benzema hat-trick fires Real Madrid into Copa del Rey final

Real Madrid has secured their place in the Copa del Rey final against Osasuna in May after a convincing 4-0 victory against Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday overturning a 1-0 first leg deficit. 

Karim Benzema, who scored a hat-trick against Real Valladolid over the weekend, continued his scintillating form with another hat-trick, taking his tally to 25 goals in all competitions this season.

Madrid's Vinicius Jr. had opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time to level the tie on aggregate, and Benzema's second-half hat-trick silenced the home crowd of over 94,000, sending Madrid through to their first domestic cup final since 2014. Barcelona had won the previous three meetings between the two sides and started the game strongly, but they lacked a punch in the final third.

Despite missing four key players through injury, Barca threatened to rally after the break. However, Madrid's Luka Modric set up Benzema for the second, and a Franck Kessie foul on Vinicius allowed Benzema to complete his brace from the penalty spot, effectively ending the tie. Benzema's third goal came late on as Barca desperately tried to salvage something from the game.

Madrid will now face Osasuna in Seville for the Copa del Rey final in May and are favourites to win. Additionally, they are still in contention for the Champions League, with a quarterfinal tie against Chelsea next week.

Benzema's incredible form is a significant boost for Madrid's chances in both competitions. However, Barcelona's defeat has hurt their pride, with the Copa del Rey not being their priority. Although they are poised to win LaLiga, their recent Champions League, Europa League and Copa del Rey eliminations have raised questions over their ability to compete at the highest level.

This loss slightly shifts the narrative on Barca's league success, and there is much room for reflection and improvement before next year. Meanwhile, Madrid can celebrate their convincing victory and look forward to their upcoming matches with confidence.