Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: Grading Performances from Copa Del Rey Semifinal

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were expected to steal the spotlight when Real Madrid and Barcelona met on Tuesday. Ronaldo dazzled while Messi practically disappeared.

The intense rivalry between the two clubs seemed to have lost some luster recently, due in large part to an inconsistent season on the part of Real Madrid, who lost five of their last 10 contests entering Tuesday’s showdown. It wasn’t Madrid who failed to show up.

Ronaldo drew first blood in the 13th minute of play, booting a right foot past Jose Pinto into the lower-left corner of the net. He set the tone for Madrid early and often, once again scoring in the 57th minute to give his club a 2-0 advantage.

It was all Madrid from that point on. Barcelona managed to find the net in the dying minutes of the match, but the writing was already on the wall.

No one put on a better display than Ronaldo, but there was plenty to take away from the Copa del Rey semifinal matchup. We’ll break down the performances of some of the match’s best and worst performers.

Cristiano Ronaldo: A+

There’s no better way to grade Ronaldo’s performance. He put the pressure on Barcelona early, leading his club to a decisive, 3-1, victory.

Even when Ronaldo wasn’t netting goals, the midfielder was keeping the pressure on Barca and setting the tone for an aggressive attack. He delivered the type of performance expected of him in El Clasicos.

The liveliest player on the pitch throughout the match, Ronaldo outpaced everyone, forcing Barca’s defense to pay him extra attention. The tempo would have been nowhere near as fast had Ronaldo not been on the pitch.

Lionel Messi: D

Tuesday’s match should have showcased an elite display of incredible football between two of the game’s biggest stars, but Messi was nowhere to be found.

The forward had a scoring chance early in the contest, missing an opportunity in the second minute to tighten the screws on Madrid. Instead of applying the pressure, Madrid turned it on Barcelona with Ronaldo’s 13th-minute goal.

It was the tale of two superstars on Tuesday, but one of them just didn’t have much of an impact. Fair or not, Messi is expected to do special things on the big stage, but he was ultimately upstaged in the loss.

Raphael Varane: A

The 19-year-old defender’s header in the 67th minute was brilliant, but he dazzled on both ends of the pitch Tuesday, as pointed out by Real Madrid’s Twitter account:

Shutting down Messi and Barca was a team effort, but Varane played a big role in the squad’s success. He built on his first-leg momentum with another terrific performance on Tuesday.

Jose Pinto: D

Pinto made a few nice saves in the contest, but he didn’t do nearly enough to slow Ronaldo and his Madrid squad.

The 37-year-old just couldn’t combat the constant pressure of Madrid’s attack. He can’t be entirely to blame for the loss, but allowing three goals in such a big match can’t go unexcused.

Had Pinto kept the match scoreless past the 13th minute, the outcome may have been far different. Barca needed a huge display from their keeper, but he failed to meet expectations.