Real Madrid players train ahead of Copa del Rey semi-final with Barcelona - in pictures

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  Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during training at Ciudad Real Madrid, Valdebebas, Madrid, ahead of Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Barcelona. Reuters

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  Goalkeeper Keylor Navas controls the ball. Reuters

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  Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema gestures during a training session. AFP

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  Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric and Welsh forward Gareth Bale. AFP

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  Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Marcelo, left, shares a joke with Dominican forward Mariano. AFP

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  Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, left, laughs with Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. AFP

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  Real Madrid's Karim Benzema during training. Reuters

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  Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari during training. Reuters

Real Madrid players took part in training Tuesday ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against bitter rivals Barcelona.

Among the players taking part was Vinicius Junior, the Brazilian attacker brimming with confidence after scoring his first goal in La Liga in Sunday's 3-0 win over Alaves.

Wednesday's match at Camp Nou is the first of three meetings between Spain's big two in the space of four weeks, with Madrid hosting the return leg on February 27 before facing Barca in La Liga on March 2.

The other semi-final is between Real Betis and Valencia.

The final will be played at Betis' Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville on May 25.

Barca overcame a 2-0 deficit from their quarter-final first leg against Sevilla, thrashing the Andalusians 6-1 in the return leg to progress 6-3 on aggregate.

Barca won the first clasico of the season in October, humiliating Madrid 5-1 that led to the sacking of former manager Julen Lopetegui's brief spell in charge at the Bernabeu.