Copa del Rey 2018/19: Barcelona vs Real Madrid

The Copa del Rey is rarely the attention of the worlds focus. As it served up the first non-La Liga Clasico outside the Super Cup since the 2014 final though, it was the game to watch on Wednesday evening as Real Madrid travelled to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona.

Santiago Solaris side got off to a dream start as a lofted ball across the box was brought down by Karim Benzema and teed up perfectly for Lucas Vazquez to flick home. As the game went on, Barcelona became more comfortable and eventually got their equaliser through Malcom. The Brazilian capitalised after Jordi Alba broke Real Madrids back line and was hauled down by Keylor Navas, with Malcom taking up the rebound after Luis Suarez had hit the post.

Here, our tactical analysis will use statistics to identify what key points Real Madrid can take from the game as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Barcelona.

A start like a rocket

Real Madrid started this game like the team full of confidence that they have proven to be in recent weeks. Pressing high and with a free flowing passing game, they kept the ball moving as Barcelonas play looked disjointed and clumsy in the early stages. It was no surprise that they managed to get on the scoresheet as early as six minutes in.

Superb movement from the Real Madrid attack caught out Alba, who didnt see Benzema in behind him as the ball looped over his head. Clement Lenglet was then just as surprised to see Vazquez dash past him at the near post.

Despite having opened the scoring Madrid kept up their flow, registering three shots in the first 15 minutes alone. Perhaps even more impressively, they even matched Barcelona for passes. Despite ending the game with 451 passes compared to their hosts 611, in the first 10 minutes it was the visitors who had made far more, with 86 passes compared to 56. That early domination was not to last, but it did show what the underdogs were capable of playing Barcelona at their own game in their own stadium.

That kind of start got Real Madrid off on the right foot and was vital given the mental aspect of the game. It gave players like Vinicius Junior the confidence to take on his men and look to break forwards. By stunning a Barcelona side with their talisman Lionel Messi on the bench, it was no wonder that they looked so shell-shocked and subdued in the early stages.

High pressing led to fatigue

Right from the very first minute, Real Madrid looked to press high. It worked well too, putting Marc-Andre ter Stegen in particular under increasing pressure whilst also leading to some rare mistakes from the likes of Sergio Busquets and Arthur Melo in possession. Los Blancos had Barcelona rattled in the early stages and it was a key element behind the phenomenal start that the visitors made at Camp Nou.

The second half started the same. Wi