Gonzalo Garcia's Late Stunner Guides Real Madrid To Last Four of Copa del Rey

 

Real Madrid secured a spot in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey with a 3-2 victory over Leganes at the Estadio Municipal Butarque in Leganes, Spain.

Leganes set off with early pressure on the visitors, forcing Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to make a diving save in the early stages. However, as the game progressed, Real Madrid garnered momentum, with Diaz and Guler seeing more of the ball.

Luka Modric broke the deadlock for Real Madrid with a well-timed run, latching onto Rodrygo's through ball and slotting it past the Leganes' goalkeeper. The goal opened up the game, with both teams creating scoring chances.

Endrick doubled Real Madrid's lead with a simple tap-in from close range, putting the visitors in control. However, Leganes refused to give up, and Juan Cruz pulled a goal back for the home side from the penalty spot before halftime after Ramon handled the ball inside the box.

The second half saw both teams continue to push for goals, with Vinicius Jr. and Diaz both coming close for Real Madrid. Leganes later equalized through Cruz's shot, which took a deflection off Mendy and wrong-footed Andriy Lunin. As the game entered its final stages, Gonzalo Garcia delivered the decisive blow, scoring the winner for Real Madrid and sending his team into the semifinals of the Copa del Rey.

The victory marked a hard-fought win for Real Madrid, who will now look to build momentum as they advance in the competition. For Leganes, the defeat marked a valiant effort, but ultimately, they fell just short of pulling off a major upset.

Overview 

The thrilling contest saw both teams create numerous scoring opportunities, with Gonzalo Garcia's late winner in the stoppage time proving to be the decisive blow.

Despite Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham not appearing in the lineup, Real had it comfortable against hosts but eventually became complacent allowing Leganes to pull one back from a penalty. Real's command of the game pilled pressure on Leganes leading to the flop that gave away the scoring opportunity to the youngster, Endrick to set his side ahead doubling the lead. 

Vinicius changed the game's outlook upon his substitution. He was significant briefly before Laganes leveled the scoreline. While Real looked entertaining, the hosts repeatedly sought to catch their opposition on the counter.