MADRID – Barcelona put one foot in the Kings Cup final with a brace from Lionel Messi sealing a thumping 5-0 semi-final first leg win over Almeria at Camp Nou on Wednesday. Three goals in the opening quarter hour put Barcelona in total command and now Barcelona, who have won the Kings Cup a record 25 times, appear a shoe-in for the final, barring a remarkable second leg comeback from Almeria.
Real Madrid hope to meet their arch rivals in the final and hold the upper hand in the other semi-final with Karim Benzema’s goal sealing a 1-0 first leg win at Sevilla on Wednesday. Real have a much slenderer lead over Sevilla in the other semi-final although the 1-0 victory was the perfect present for Madrid boss Jose Mourinho on his 48th birthday.
Reborn French international striker Karim Benzema scored the decisive goal on 15 minutes, dribbling past one man before cutting inside to curl a left-footed shot into the corner.
MILAN DOWN SAMPDORIA: Italian football badboy Antonio Cassano celebrated his return to his former club Sampdoria on Wednesday as his new team AC Milan ran out 2-1 winners in their Italian Cup quarter-final. Milan were joined in the semi-finals later by their city rivals and Cup holders Inter Milan, who prevailed 5-4 on penalties away at Napoli after the match had finished 0-0.
