MADRID (AP) – Real Madrid and Barcelona had comfortable victories in the first legs of their Copa del Rey semi-finals today.
Real beat defending champion Atletico Madrid 3-0 to extend their unbeaten streak to 22 games and end Atletico’s unbeaten run at 23 matches.
Pepe scored in the 17th minute, Jese Rodriguez in the 57th and Angel Di Maria in the 73rd at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Real are 18 wins, zero losses and four draws in all competitions since a league loss at Barcelona on October 26. Atletico, the La Liga leader, had been 18-0-5 since a league loss at Espanyol on October 20.
Diego Costa, Atletico’s leading scorer, is suspended for the second leg of the total-goals series next Tuesday after getting a yellow card in the 61st and David Villa is expected to miss the game because of a thigh strain sustained Sunday.
Barcelona won 2-0 at home against Real Sociedad, taking the lead on Sergio Busquets’ goal in the 44th minute. The Blaugrana increased their margin in the 60th when Alexis Sanchez’s shot rebounded off a post, and Sociedad’s Gorka Elustondo cleared the ball into the penalty area, where it deflected in off goalkeeper Enaut Zubikarai.
Real Sociedad host the second leg next Wednesday. The final is April 19.
Win for Roma
In Rome, Gervinho had a pair of goals, leading Roma over Napoli 3-2 in the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final.
Gervinho scored off a through pass from Francesco Totti in the 13th minute, and Kevin Strootman doubled the lead in the 32nd.
Gonzalo Higuain scored for Napoli in the first minute of the second half as the ball deflected off Mehdi Benatia and goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis, and Dries Mertens tied it 2-2 in the 70th, four minutes after entering. Gervinho slotted in the go-ahead goal in the 88th.
The second leg of the total-goals series is next Wednesday. Udinese lead Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semi-final.
Lyon to meet PSG
In Paris, Lyon beat second-division Troyes 2-1 and advanced to the French League Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain
Goals by Alexandre Lacazette in the 16th minute and Bafetimbi Gomis in the 27th built a 2-0 lead before Xavier Thiago scored for the visitors in the 35th.
