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Zaragoza wins its quarterfinal match; de Madrid upset

Substitute David Villa scored a controversial 74th-minute penalty Thursday as Zaragoza edged FC Barcelona 1-0 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

Barcelona never recovered after the harsh decision to penalize midfielder Gerard Lopez for a push as he went to head the ball with striker Goran Drulic in the penalty area.

Barcelona's defeat leaves it facing a tough task in Zaragoza next Wednesday to reach the semifinals and continue its quest for its first silverware in five years.

In another game, striker Ruben Navarro scored a hat-trick as second-division giant-killer Alaves surprised Celta de Vigo 4-2 and gave itself an excellent chance of reaching the last four of the competition.

On Wednesday, Real Madrid downed Valencia 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, while Sevilla crushed Atletico de Madrid 4-0.

Zaragoza's new coach Victor Munoz, who took charge on Monday, made a promising start to his tenure as his team gained a surprise win in a match which had 11 yellow cards.

Munoz, a former Spanish international with Barcelona, saw his players come close to scoring twice in the first seven minutes through Drulic and Savio Bortolini. The Basque team sealed its victory with a fourth goal when Navarro presented Magno with the chance to volley home in the 54th minute.
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