Real Madrid have crashed out of the Copa Del Rey in shock fashion after a 2-1 second leg quarter-final defeat against Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu. Even though Los Blancos went into the second leg with a 1-0 lead from the first leg, the Copa Del Rey dream is over for another year as Leganes progress to the semi-final on away goals.
This was the first ever win at the Bernabeu for Leganes and the 2-2 aggregate score was enough to take them through. As expected before the match, Zinedine Zidane made a number of changes but it was still a strong looking side. Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Isco, Marco Asensio and Mateo Kovacic all started the game.
The performance looked sluggish from the start and there were clear problems for Real early on. Claudio Beauvue’s free kick hit the post for Leganes as early as the fifth minute and then Kiko Casilla was called into action to save a Darko Brasanac shot and a Gabriel header.
Those were the warning signs, but Leganes then took the lead after 31 minutes when Javier Eraso curled a great shot into the top corner from 25 yards out. This levelled the tie on aggregate. Leganes then almost doubled their advantage as an overhead kick went narrowly wide.
Real were booed off at half time, but the players responded early in the second half as Karim Benzema clipped a very good finish into the net after Lucas Vazquez’s through ball, putting Real in front again on aggregate.
Leganes regained the lead though, as Gabriel’s header from a corner found the net and the Bernabeu crowd were left in a stunned state of silence. Zidane sent Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal and Borja Mayoral on but it was to no avail, as Real could not find the net again and thus crashed out of the competition. The pressure builds on the Los Blancos boss.
