Real Madrid came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Barcelona, but unfortunately that was not enough as The Whites were knocked out of the Copa del Rey 4-3 on aggregate.
Real Madrid will rue their missed chances, especially in the first twenty minutes when they had more than enough chances to win this match. The first chance came just 15 seconds into the game when Higuain was in alone one-on-one with Pinto, but he could not even put his shot on target.
The nervy start for Barcelona got ever shakier moments later when Higuain forced a point blank save from Pinto, as he found himself in acres of space when Xabi Alonso’s free-kick arrived at the back post.
Real Madrid continued to boss the game and Ronaldo was the next player to work Pinto from a shot as Real caught their rivals on the break.
Mesut Ozil continued the assault with a piledriver of a shot from 30 yards that cannoned off the underside of the bar, and Pinto gave the ball away to Higuain who shot straight back at him as Barca continued to falter under intense pressure.
But then Barca hit Real Madrid with two classic counter-attack goals within three minutes of half-time. The first came from Pedro, who finished off a Messi pass. It was a harsh blow and when Alves hit an unstoppable strike from outside the box in injury time it seemed like game over.
Real Madrid never give up and came out from the dressing room fighting for a comeback when the crowd thought it was all over. Mourinho refreshed his side with Granero, Callejon and Benzema, who came on for Lass, Higuain and Kaka.
The changes worked as Madrid continued to press the game and Real thought they were back in it when Sergio Ramos headed Alonso’s free-kick in, but the goal was ruled out due to a foul on Alves.
Just when it seemed that Real were out of it, a four-minute burst flipped the game wide open as goals from Ronaldo and then substitute Benzema levelled the score.
Ozil first played Ronaldo in and the Portuguese rounded Pinto, finishing from a tight angle to pull one back. Then in the 72nd minute Benzema flicked the ball over Carles Puyol and equalised with an equally calm effort to make it 2-2.
It was a pulsating last twenty minutes as Mourinho’s men continued looking for a winner and nearly found it again through Benzema, who dribbled past Puyol but didn’t manage to net another goal.
