Ten-man Real Madrid came back from behind to beat Elche in extra time.
Real Madrid defeated Elche 2-1 in their Cope del Rey last-16 match on Thursday. The Blancos completed a sensational comeback while Eden Hazard scored his first goal of the season.
Hazard to rescue!
Real Madrid dominated the game throughout the first half, but they were not clinical enough to use their chances. They became more cautious of Elche’s counter-attacks in the second period as the hosts delivered an improved performance.
Following a goalless draw during the 90 minutes, both sides showed great enthusiasm to finish the game off in the extra time.
Real Madrid pushed to get an early opener at the beginning of the extra time. But they received a huge blow to their plans in the 102nd minute. Following a swift counter-attack by Elche, Marcelo denied the hosts a clear goalscoring opportunity with a behind-the-box tackle. The referee sent him off with a straight red card, leaving Real Madrid with ten men.
Marcelo’s foul, however, was not enough to prevent Elche from scoring. Gonzalo Verdu initially failed to convert the free-kick as he hit the wall but managed to convert the rebound.
Real Madrid went all-in with their attacks after conceding the opening goal. Only five minutes later, Isco scored the equalizer for the La Liga leaders.
The Blanco pushed to get the match-winner in the latter stages of the extra time. Elche missed a few great chances on the counter-attacks, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side eventually punished them with a late winner.
Following an excellent curling pass from David Alaba, Eden Hazard rounded the goalkeeper before making it 2-1 for Real Madrid with a precise finish.
It was enough to send Real Madrid to the Cope del Rey quarterfinals as they celebrated their fifth consecutive win. The Blancos will face Elche again in their next La Liga game on Sunday.
Player Ratings
Elche: Werner (6); Palacios (7), Donald (7), Gonzalez (7), Mojica (7); Josan (6), Guti (6), Gumbau (6), Fidel (5); Perez (6), Carillo (6).
Bench: Verdu (7), Friaza (6), Morente (6), Milla (5).
Real Madrid: Lunin (6); Vazquez (7), Nacho (7), Alaba (7), Marcelo (6); Camavinga (7), Kroos (8), Valverde (6); Vinicius (8), Jovic (6), Rodrygo (6).
Bench: Mendy (-), Casemiro (7), Ceballos (6), Isco (6), Modric (6), Hazard (7).
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