January 21, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid escaped a shock Copa del Rey departure with a 2-1 victory over Elche on Thursday night, courtesy of an extra-time goal from Eden Hazard.
After receiving a pass from David Alaba, the Belgian ran through on goal and coolly rounded goalkeeper Axel Werner to secure Los Blancos’ place in the quarter-finals.
Before that, Guido Carrillo had latched onto Lucas Perez’s ball across goal with the net gaping, only to see his close-range shot fly back off the bar.
Real – who started the game without Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Karim Benzema due to Carlo Ancelotti’s squad rotation – had a few good chances in the first half, with Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga both going close, but no goal separated the two sides before the break.
Elche had played well in the first half, but their attacking prowess began to diminish in the second as Real dominated possession and looked for opportunities.
However, Real lacked Benzema’s composure in attack, as Luka Jovic toiled up front, and the hosts held out well despite missing six players due to COVID-19.
Because the teams could not be separated in the first 90 minutes, extra time was required.
A Raul Guti free-kick forced Andriy Lunin to save before Casemiro dribbled a shot wide. Despite the fact that Real had the better chances, Marcelo gave Elche the advantage by being sent off for a last-man challenge on Tete Morente.
Gonzalo Verdu caught Lunin off guard with a deflected strike that rolled into the bottom corner to give Los Franjiverdes an unexpected lead.
However, Dani Ceballos’ shot was deflected in by Isco for his second goal of the season in the second half of extra time, erasing the advantage.
Then, Hazard completed the turnaround when he ran through on goal after receiving a pass from Alaba, demonstrating his quality with an outstanding finish to secure his side’s place in the next round.
But, the drama did not end there, as Elche threatened a late equaliser. Fidel had a strike hit the back of the next, but, due to a prior foul, the goal was disallowed. In the aftermath, Pere Milla was sent off for a second bookable offence, shortly before the game ended.
The quarter-final draw will take place on Friday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
