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Gareth Bale says Real Madrid deserve to be in the final of the Copa del Rey after seeing off Atletico de Madrid with ease over two legs.

Los Blancos beat their cross city rivals 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon on Tuesday night, and 5-0 overall to secure their place in the showpiece event, where they will meet either Barcelona or Real Sociedad.

The Welshman played a pivotal role at the home of Los Rojiblancos, winning a penalty after drawing a foul by Atletico defender Insua. Teammate Cristiano Ronaldo tucked home the spotkick.

Bale, 24, said his side deserves to be in the final after putting in impressive displays in attack and defense. “We deserve to be in the Copa del Rey final, we played a great match and we’re doing well,” he told reporters after the game. He added: “We are doing very well in attack, but we have improved a lot in defence. We are playing very well. It is great to see that what we work on in training comes off when we use it in matches and gets us the results.”

The Welshman, who made a 91 million euro switch from Tottenham Hotspur to the Santiago Bernabeu last summer, has scored 11 goals and provided nine assists so far this season.

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The Atletico Madrid fan who threw a lighter at Cristiano Ronaldo during the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals at the Vicente Calderon faces a ban from sports venues lasting between six month to two years, plus a 50,000 euros fine.

The man has been identified by Atletico Madrid, although he managed to escape before police could arrest him in the stadium.

Sources from the Spanish Football Federation have confirmed to Spanish website ElConfidencial.com that Atletico will also be fined and given a stadium closure warning.

The referee pointed out in his report that “as we approached the changing room, a lighter impacted Real Madrid’s number 7 on the head; the player was able to continue playing in the second half.” The fact that Ronaldo didn’t require medical assistance will be a extenuating circumstance in the sanction procedure against Atletico.

Thus, the closure of the stadium will be ruled out, something that wouldn’t have happened if the lighter had hit the referee instead of a player.

Barcelona received the same punishment when a fan threw Luis Figo a pig’s head and when Roberto Carlos was also hit by a lighter.

When asked about the incident, Iker Casillas said: “There is always someone that tries to smear the image of a club like Atletico Madrid and it doesn’t reflect how the majority of their fans are. I think the consequences could be serious because it could have hurt a player.”

Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos added: “Things like that taint and damage a game like football. That’s why there are cameras, and if they detect it, the person should be prohibited from coming in during a good long time.”

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti insists it is a good sign Isco is not happy watching from the sidelines and has reassured the Spain international that he has a bright future.

The 21-year-old joined Los Blancos from Malaga on a five-year deal last summer and made a promising start to life at the Bernabeu.

He scored on his debut in Real’s 2-1 victory over Real Betis on the opening weekend of the La Liga season and netted a further four times in all competitions in the month that followed.

But his last goal came on December 14 and he has made just three league appearances since then, with his only start of 2014 coming back on January 6.

Isco has suffered as a result of Ancelotti’s switch to a 4-3-3 formation to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo, odds-on to be top scorer in La Liga, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale in the same side.

Ancelotti has told Isco that he still has a big part to play as Real, 13/10 with Paddy Power to win the Spanish league, chase success on three fronts.

“Maybe now Isco is not happy,” Ancelotti said. “I do not like a happy player if he does not play. He has been penalised slightly [by the change in formation], but hopefully at the end of the season we can say he was an important part of the team.

“He did very well at first and played. I have absolutely no doubt about his talents or his future – but now it is normal for him to be unhappy. I’m not here to work for one player or another; I’m here to work for the greater good of Real Madrid.”

Ancelotti’s side took major step towards securing at least one trophy this term as they saw off city rivals Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

(Article provided by Chris Peters, with thanks)

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Marca and AS are full of the post match coverage of last night’s Copa del Rey semi-final clash between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid.

Los Blancos won 2-0 on the night thanks to two penalties in the opening 15 minutes, scored by Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. The nine-time European Cup winners ran out 5-0 winners over the course of the two game against their city rivals to ease their way in the final – their third Copa del Rey final in four years.

While the Real Madrid attack has grabbed the headlines in recent weeks, today the spotlight falls on Iker Casillas, with Marca using an image of him in its front page. The goalkeeper – used in cup competitions by Carlo Ancelotti this season – has now gone 862 minutes without conceding a goal, extending a record he set last week.

The clean sheet at the Vicente Calderon also means Real Madrid qualified for the final without conceding a goal along the way. It is a record for the Copa del Rey.

The other main talking point this morning is the off field incident in which at Atletico fan threw a lighter at Ronaldo as the forward made his way to the dressing room at half time. Los Rojiblancos have vowed to find the culprit, and apologised over the incident.

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Real Madrid are through to their third Copa del Rey final in four years after comfortably seeing off Atletico de Madrid at the Vicente Calderon.

Taking a big 3-0 lead into the second leg, they ran out 2-0 winners on the night, winning the tie 5-0 overall. They will meet either Barcelona or Real Sociedad, who play the second leg of their semi-final tomorrow night, with the Catalans holding a 2-0 lead.

Like so many times before, Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed the headlines, scoring two penalties inside the first 15 minutes of the match to end the tie as a contest. In the fifth minute, the 29-year-old was felled by Javier Manquillo and the Portuguese international picked himself up to tuck home from the spot.

Just ten minutes later, Gareth Bale went down in the area under the challenge of Emiliano Insúa. Up stepped Ronaldo again to score his 34th goal of a very productive season by the former Manchester United man.

Without main man Diego Costa, missing through suspension, Atletico failed to muster much of note having had the stuffing knocked out of them so early in the game. Diego and Raul Garcia both had attempts blocked, but that was as close as it got for the home side, who came into the match on the back of two straight defeats.

The second half was a drab affair as a spectacle on a freezing cold night in Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti replaced Sergio Ramos at half-time with Nacho to ensure he will be free to play in the final having come into the match one booking away from suspension.

Ancelotti also used the second half to give playing time to Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who replaced Luka Modric, and to Jese, who came on for Ronaldo.

The clean sheet means Los Blancos have set a new record for the longest amount of time without conceding a goal in the Copa del Rey, while Iker Casillas also passed the 800 minute mark without letting a goal past him.

All in all, it won’t go down as one of the greatest Madrid derby matches, but Real won’t care, as they are into the final and in with a shout of silverware.

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atletico-real-madrid-betting

The second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final takes place between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid tonight at the Vicente Calderon.

And with a 3-0 first leg lead, Los Blancos are overwhelming favourites to reach their second consecutive final, and third in four years. The odds are stacked against the home side tonight. with Atletico at 16/1 to qualify for the final.

Their main main Diego Costa misses out through suspension tonight, while Thibaut Courtois is out with injury, but the Rojiblancos can be backed at 19/10 to win the game at the Vicente Calderon.

Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching staff have reminded their players all week that they need to approach the game as if it was 0-0. Any sign of complacency could be punished. Madrid teams never sit back and defend, and with Cristiano Ronaldo available for selection, the visitors will have a strong line-up. A win for Los Blancos on the night can be found at 7/5, with a draw at odds of 12/5.

With Bale and Benzema also in the team, and Jese in fine form, there are plenty of goals in this Madrid squad. Those who like to put money on the game may be tempted by the goals market. Los Blancos can be found at 11/10 to score two or more goals tonight.

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Atletico Madrid Real Madrid match preview

Real Madrid visit Atletico de Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final tonight knowing that barring a disaster they will make it to their third final in four years.

Los Blancos hold a 3-0 lead from last week’s first leg in which the demolished Diego Simeone’s team. Atletico are in a bad run of form at the moment, going down 2-0 at Almeria at the weekend, and Carlo Ancelotti will be confident his men can finish off the job at the Vicente Calderon.

Real welcome back Cristiano Ronaldo into the fold for the capital derby. The 29-year-old, fresh from completing his birthday celebrations at the weekend, will go straight back into the side at a ground where he has scored on four previous occasions. The Portuguese star still has two games to sit out in La Liga though because of his red card against Athletic Bilbao, and will miss the fixtures against Getafe and Elche.

Raphael Varane will make his comeback from injury this evening, with Pepe or Sergio Ramos being rested. Both of those two are a yellow card away from being suspended for the final.

Iker Casillas will start in goal as Ancelotti rotates his keepers from the cup competitions, while we could see some playing time for Isco, who is thought to be unhappy with his bit-part role in the team in recent weeks.

On their part, Atletico have been making the right noises about the game, with various players and the manager saying never say never, and promising to go all out attack from the start. With injuries and eyes on greater targets such as La Liga and the Champions League, it may not be as explosive a derby as we’ve seen in recent years however.

Possible line-ups:
Atletico de Madrid: Courtois-Juanfran-Insua-Miranda-Godin-Diego Ribas-Gabi-Koke-Raul Garcia-Arda Turan-Adrian Lopez

Real Madrid: Casillas-Varane-Ramos-Arbeloa-Marcelo-Modric-Alonso-Ronaldo-Bale-Di Maria-Benzema

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Real Madrid will not play for a draw when they take on Atletico de Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Vicente Calderon, says Carlo Ancelotti.

Los Blancos take a 3-0 lead into the game, having outplayed their cross city rivals in the first leg last week, avenging the defeat they suffered at the Santiago Bernabeu in last season’s final.

Speaking at his press conference on Monday afternoon, Ancelotti urged his players to be switched on from the start, and said they will approach the game with the same intensity and philosophy as any other match. Anything else would be an irresponsible approach to take, he said.

“We have a significant advantage but we need to play with the same focus as in the first leg to avoid problems. We shouldn’t change our philosophy and we have to play with intensity to have possession. The best thing is to not to think about the lead that we have. It will be difficult because they are a very strong team,” Ancelotti told gathered reporters.

He added that despite the big lead, the game will be played at the same intensity as any other Madrid derby. “Matches between two teams from the same city are always more intense than normal, ” Ancelotti stated.

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Central defender Raphael Varane will make his long-awaited return from injury when Real Madrid take on Atletico de Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final.

The French defender has endured a difficult campaign, missing the early months of a season through injury sustain last season, before picking up a knee problem on international duty with his country in November.

But Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti revealed in his press conference before the match with their city rivals that Varane will start. With Madrid leading 3-0 from the first leg, it will allow Varane to enter the fray in a competitive atmosphere but a game in which Los Blancos should be able to see out a book their place in the final.

The Frenchman’s return is a timely one, as it will mean one of Pepe or Sergio Ramos will sit out the game. Both players are on a booking already, so a yellow card in the second leg would rule them out of the final.

Ancelotti said: “We have no problems. Varane will play and one of the two of them will rest. Varane needs to play. He has everything it takes to be a good defender: quality, speed, tactical awareness, good positioning, enthusiasm … It is important that he has recovered well because the other centre-backs get a chance to rest.”

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Tonight sees Real Madrid visit Atletico de Madrid for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, and the morning papers have plenty of pre-match build up.

Marca and AS both comment on the return of Iker Casillas to the starting line-up for the match, and how the World Cup winner and Spain legend has never lost against Atletico de Madrid when starting in goal. That 25-game unbeaten run stretches back more than 16 years, and it will take something special to see that come to an end tonight.

Los Rojiblancs have been talking up the game, saying anything can happen. Club president Enrique Cererzo told AS that Atletico have been known to put more than three past their city rivals before, while manager Diego Simeone has urged his players to be switched on from the start and try and get an early goal.

But Atletico will be missing a number of first team players, making the task more difficult for them. Goalkeeper Tibaut Courtois is set to miss out altogether, while Godin, Arda, Gabi and Juanfran will start on the bench.

Real welcome back Cristiano Ronaldo, who is available to play in the Copa del Rey despite have two games left to serve of hist three match ban in La Liga. And Karim Benzema will look to continue his good form. Marca runs a focus on him in which it says his 20 goals up to this point this season is the most profitable one for Benzema in a Madrid shirt.

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