Copa del Rey: 10-man Real Madrid mount comeback to enter QFs, Barcelona crash out
Jan 21, 2022
Madrid [Spain], January 21 : Goals by Isco and Hazard in the second half of extra-time in Elche clinched a quarter-final berth for Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, who played with 10 men from the 102nd minute while FC Barcelona were knocked out by Athletic Club.
At the Martinez Valero on Thursday evening, despite the odds against them, at 1-0 down and playing with ten men after Marcelo was given his marching orders on 102', Ancelotti's charges produced a spectacular second half of extra-time to seal the place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals for Real Madrid.
Goals by Isco with 108 minutes on the clock and Hazard on 115', Madrid-based team will now discover their opposition in the next round on Friday.
After the match remained goalless in regulation time, Madrid's luck was out at 102nd minutes as a clearance from Gonzalo Verdu's effort ricocheted off Dani Ceballos and into the net to put the hosts into the ascendancy.
In Bilbao, defending champions FC Barcelona crashed out of the Copa del Rey after a 3-2 defeat against Athletic. The two sides that have lifted the trophy more than any others produced action and intensity from start to finish and although Athletic Club took the lead twice, Barca were able to find an answer each time.
They did it first with Ferran Torres' first ever goal for his new club and did it again with an equaliser from Pedri in the dying moments of injury time. But despite managing to take the game into extra time in such dramatic fashion, the Catalans were unable to finish the job in added time. Instead Athletic went back in front, and this time it was going to be definitive.
Iker Muniain scored a brace while Inigo Martinez scored the other goal for Athletic Club in their victory.
