Real Madrid survived red cards for Fabio Coentrao and Angel di Maria, and an injury to Iker Casillas, to draw 1-1 at Valencia and qualify for the Copa del Rey semi-finals 3-1 on aggregate on Wednesday.
Karim Benzema netted just before halftime to put Jose Mourinho’s side 3-0 up in the tie, before Coentrao picked up a second yellow card for a handball in the 51st minute.
Valencia pulled a goal back from the ensuing free-kick when Tino Costa’s low effort surprised Real’s reserve goalkeeper Antonio Adan.
Adan had to replace Casillas in the 15th minute after Real defender Alvaro Arbeloa accidentally kicked his left hand while trying to clear a loose ball from the area.
Di Maria picked up a foolish red card two minutes from time after kicking out at Valencia defender Joao Pereira as the two tussled for the ball.
Real face either holders Barcelona or Malaga in the semi-finals. Barca were due to visit La Rosaleda yesterday with their tie level at 2-2.
“We came with a healthy advantage from the home leg and after the first goal it got tricky,” Real midfielder Xabi Alonso told Spanish television. “With a player less we played an intelligent game.”
On the other side of the draw, Alvaro Negredo scored twice to help Sevilla past nine-man Real Zaragoza with a 4-0 quarter-final second-leg victory.
The Spain striker netted with a header and a penalty, while Croatia international midfielder Ivan Rakitic and Manu del Moral grabbed the others to complete a 4-0 aggregate win.
Zaragoza had defender Jose Fernandez sent off for a straight red card after only 26 minutes and midfielder Fran Gonzalez followed him down the tunnel in the 66th after giving away the penalty for Sevilla’s third.
The 2010 Copa del Rey winners meet either Atletico Madrid or city rivals Real Betis Balompie in the semi-finals.
Atletico, who lost against Sevilla in the final three years ago, held a 2-0 advantage ahead of yesterday’s trip to play Betis.
Real were forced into an early change at the Estadio Mestalla after Casillas picked up his injury and had to be replaced.
“It’s a little bit sore after the blow I received from Alvaro, but we have to wait for the tests to find the full extent of the injury,” Casillas told reporters after the game.
“The doctor is optimistic, but with these types of injuries you have to go into detail. There was something I didn’t like very much. It’s around the index finger. I hope it is nothing,” he said.
Valencia defender Ricardo Costa failed to cut out Xabi Alonso’s pass into the area in the 44th minute, leaving France international striker Benzema free in the area to fire past Vicente Guaita.
Portugal international defender Coentrao’s sending off allowed Costa to thump a shot through a crowd of players and past Adan, but Valencia rarely looked like adding to the score.
The game was getting tetchy in the closing stages when Argentine Di Maria flicked his leg out at Pereira.
“The images are there for everyone to see,” Real assistant coach Aitor Karanka told a press conference, when asked about the red cards. “You have to see them and draw your own conclusions. We don’t have aggressive players.”
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
RSS