Atletico Madrid virtually secured a place in the Copa del Rey final after beating Racing Santander 4-0 in their semi-final first leg on Thursday.
Atletico, who have reached the semi-finals 17 times, scored twice in each half at the Calderon Stadium against Santander, who were making only their second ever appearance in the top four.
On Wednesday, Sevilla beat Getafe 2-0 in the other semi-final.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Atletico went ahead in the ninth minute, Simao Sabrosa volleying in Sergio Aguero’s cross from the right. Jose Antonio Reyes swept in the second in the 40th minute after the Santander defense failed to clear a Sabrosa cross.
Diego Forlan converted a penalty in the 63rd minute after Toni Moral brought Jose Manuel Jurado down, albeit outside the area, and another in the 72nd minute, following Marc Torrejon’s clumsy challenge on Aguero.
Atletico started with some of the best attacking soccer of their erratic season. In the seventh minute, Reyes crossed to Aguero, who shot just wide. Seconds later Tiago Mendes struck the near post from a corner.
Aguero was at the heart of things again in the 14th minute, when Fabio Coltorti saved his close-range header from Tomas Ujfalusi’s cross and the goalkeeper then just managed to push away Forlan’s shot from a tight angle on the left.
Santander occasionally threatened on the break and Oscar Serrano had a fine shot from the left saved in the 16th minute.
Jurado replaced Reyes at the start of the second half after the midfielder limped off with a knee injury.
Santander’s teenage forward Sergio Canales, who reportedly has agreed to join Real Madrid, was put through by Moral in the 57th minute, though he was ruled offside.
Jurado should have scored a fifth for Atletico in stoppage-time, when he blasted over after Ujfalusi crossed following stunning individual play by Aguero.
Atletico withstood some late pressure to take their four-goal lead into the second leg next week.
The two teams meet again tomorrow in the league.
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