Ronald Araujo locks down Real Madrid! Winners & losers as Barcelona defender frustrates rivals in Copa del Rey first-leg away win

What a performance.

Vinicius Junior is one of the most dangerous wingers in Europe at the moment, and Araujo had him feeding off scraps all evening. It was the kind of composed showing that opponents have often lacked against the Brazilian. Araujo was physical without being reckless, ensuring that Vinicius had little room to work with.

There was, of course, the occasional piece of gamesmanship. Vinicius was still fouled five times, and Araujo clearly frustrated the winger with the odd nudge and push. But it was a clever bending of the rules, not an overtly aggressive performance.

The two have been matched up against each other twice this season, and Araujo has won both duels - a feat that no other defender in Europe has achieved.

The France international has been excellent of late, but he was poor here. Camavinga wasn't as composed as usual at the No. 6 and was responsible for Barcelona's opener with a lazy back pass that allowed Franck Kessie to run in on goal.

But it wasn't just one moment. Camavinga was loose in possession throughout and lacked the fluidity that the rest of his team brought. There were some encouraging passages of play, especially as Madrid upped the tempo in the second half. Still, he was lacking when he needed to be at his best.

Ancelotti made an interesting call to select him over his France compatriot Aurelien Tchouameni, and it looks like the Madrid boss made the wrong choice.

De Jong needed to have a big night here. With Madrid in good form, Pedri out, and Barca having to field a slightly different lineup, it was on De Jong to boss the midfield.

And he did. Xavi switched the Dutch international to a right-sided centre-midfield role, and the 24-year-old shone throughout, cutting passing lanes, making tackles and showing adventure on the ball with a series of smart forward runs. This was always going to be a tricky one for Barca, especially given the number of injuries they are dealing with. But De Jong's presence made it all slightly easier, which was crucial in giving the Blaugrana a 1-0 first-leg triumph. These performances have started to come more regularly for a player that is sneakily coming into his own in a Barcelona kit.

Vinicius has made a bit of a habit of being vocal with referees this season, often with good reason. The winger has consistently been kicked off the park, while officials have been reluctant to protect him.

But this time, when he got in referee Jose Munuera's face, the Brazilian didn't really have any ground for complaint. He'd been completely blanked from the game by an excellent Arauajo and steadily lost his head over the course of the contest. None of his usual bag of tricks and flicks worked, and some old wasteful habits reared their head.

Vinicius didn't get around Araujo once and skewed a couple of shots wide when he could've passed to an open team-mate. He wasn't the only Madrid player culpable for a lack of composure, but given how much he was on the ball and expectations entering the match, his poor performance stood out.

Xavi would have taken a 0-0 here. In fact, he set his team up for it. Barcelona were conservative from the start, putting at least eight players behind the ball at all times. The Blaugrana seldom pressed and were more than comfortable to soak up pressure.

But they also broke at the right times, using the pace of Raphinha and thrust of Gavi to full effect. And although their goal came against the run of play, they earned it with a dogged defensive showing.

It was arguably Xavi's best tactical performance of the season. The manager was not deterred by the bright lights of El Clasico, and stuck to his guns with a familiar formation. But also made some key tactical tweaks. Araujo slotted in at right-back to mark Vinicius. Frenkie de Jong moved to a right-sided centre-midfield role so the more defensive-minded Kessie could cover for Alejandro Balde. And Sergio Busquets sat firmly in front of the back-four. It all amounted to a resolute showing with just the right amount of attacking intent.

Xavi was, undoubtedly, helped by a sluggish Real Madrid. But it was Barca's performance and, more broadly, Xavi's tactics, that kept them quiet.

The 33-year-old has been so reliable in recent weeks, and he didn't quite reach those levels here. Nacho was caught out of position by a lively Raphinha, and made a few silly fouls, earning himself an unnecessary yellow card early in the second half. He should have cleared the own goal off the line, swinging his foot at the ball but coming up completely empty.

He was also slightly sluggish in possession, moving the ball rather slowly when Madrid needed zip to overcome a solid Barca defence. Nacho has put in a string of solid showings of late, and he was playing in an unfamiliar position. But he was a clear weakness for Madrid. Ferland Mendy is due to return soon. And it will be a welcome sight to see a more natural left-back in the side.