On the morning of January 27 (Hanoi time), Atletico Madrid took the lead but still lost to Real 1-3 in the quarterfinals of Copa del Rey 2022/23.
In the 104th minute, when the score of the Madrid derby was 1-1, Marco Asensio broke through to the bottom of the border and stretched horizontally. Vinicius Jr’s missed shot accidentally became a mid-range assist for Karim Benzema to shoot diagonally into Atletico’s net.
The second goal was the result of Real Madrid’s tireless offensive effort, following they let Alvaro Morata concede in the 19th minute.
| Benzema scored his ninth goal in his last 10 appearances for Real. |
The first 45 minutes, “Los Blancos” only had 2 shots. This number increased 7 times in the second half. The Bernabeu team has to wait until the 16th and last shot in official time to knock down the opponent’s defense system in the same city.
Once once more, coach Carlo Ancelotti showed his acumen in substitution decisions. Both names he launched into the field in the second half, Marco Asensio and Rodrygo both made a mark to help the host come back.
In the 79th minute, Rodrygo received a pass from Modric, before performing a solo phase through 4 red and white striped shirts, before finishing neatly into the near corner, bringing the game back to the starting line.
The score 1-1 was maintained until the 90th minute. The two teams had to settle the win or loss by extra time. Under intense pressure from the host, Atletico’s defense gradually lost control.
Minutes 97 and 99, Stefan Savic received two yellow cards following trying to stop Vinicius Jr and Edouardo Camavinga. With 10 men on the field, “Rojiblancos” only lasted until the end of the first extra time. Benzema played lackluster but with even the smallest space, he made a difference.
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| The away team’s defense collapsed following losing people. |
The important goal of the reigning Golden Ball in the 104th minute made Atletico unable to get up. In the 120 + 1 minute, Vinicius finished the opponent with a dribble through a series of defenders, before scoring a 3-1 victory for the host.
Coach Diego Simeone’s army might only blame themselves for squandering the opportunity to decide the match in the 84th minute, when the score was still 1-1. Antoine Griezmann escaped to face Thibaut Courtois but shot the ball over the bar.
Real, Barca, Bilbao and Osasuna are the 4 teams participating in the quarterfinals of Copa del Rey 2022/23. Benzema and his teammates are determined to win the cup tournament they have not been able to win in the past 8 years.
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