Did Real and Atletico Madrid Secure Narrow Wins in Copa del Rey?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Real Madrid narrowly defeated Talavera 3-2.
- Atletico Madrid also advanced with a 3-2 win over Atletico Baleares.
- Significant upsets occurred, including Racing Santander beating Villarreal.
- Celta Vigo was eliminated following a penalty shootout.
- Several La Liga teams, including FC Barcelona and Valencia, progressed to the last 16.
Madrid, Dec 18 (NationPress) Real Madrid secured a spot in the fourth round of the Copa del Rey with a tense 3-2 victory against Talavera, a third-tier team. The match saw Kylian Mbappe open the scoring in the 41st minute with a penalty, followed by a second goal that was an own goal from Manuel Farrando after a clever setup from Mbappe.
Despite a goal from Nahuel Arroyo in the 79th minute, Mbappe restored Madrid's two-goal lead just minutes before the end. However, Gonzalo Di Renzo brought Talavera within one goal again in the 90th minute. A crucial late save by Andriy Lunin prevented the match from going into extra time.
Atletico Madrid, under coach Diego Simeone, also advanced to the last 16, winning 3-2 against third-tier Atletico Baleares. Antoine Griezmann starred with two goals, while Gianluca Raspadori added another. Atletico faced challenges as Gerardo Bonet scored for Baleares and Mouhamadou Keita converted a penalty in the dying moments of the match.
In other matches, Deportivo Alaves edged past Sevilla 1-0, increasing pressure on Sevilla's coach Matias Almeyda. Second-division Racing Santander caused an upset by defeating Villarreal 2-1, with Juan Carlos Arana scoring twice. Levante was eliminated by Cultural Leonesa after a narrow loss, while Celta Vigo fell on penalties to Albacete after a 2-2 draw.
Finally, Osasuna triumphed over Huesca 4-2 after extra time, with Raul Garcia netting twice. On Tuesday night, teams including FC Barcelona, Valencia, Elche, Real Sociedad, and Deportivo la Coruna secured their places in the last 16.