Leganes' Nabil El Zhar (right) in an action during the Copa del Rey quarter-final football match against Villarreal on Wednesday. — AFP MADRID, Jan 11 (AP): Real Madrid reached the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday but its struggles continued with a 2-2 draw against second-division team Numancia.
Madrid, playing with a second-string lineup, advanced 5-2 on aggregate thanks to its 3-0 win in the first leg last week, which marked the team's only win in its last four games.
Zinedine Zidane's side was coming off a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo and a demoralizing 3-0 home loss to Barcelona in the Spanish league, a competition in which it trails the Catalan club by 16 points with a game in hand.
Madrid struggled to create significant chances and was unable to prevent Numancia from threatening.
Three-time defending champion Barcelona hosts Celta Vigo on Thursday. The teams drew 1-1 in last week's first leg in Vigo.
In another match, Leganes reached the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey for the first time in its 89-year history despite a 2-1 loss at Villarreal.
With the teams 2-2 on aggregate, Leganes advanced on away goals after winning the first leg 1-0.
Nabil El Zhar put the visitors ahead before halftime but Daniel Raba equalized for Villarreal early in the second half.
Denis Cheryshev scored Villarreal's winner with only a few minutes left.
The hosts needed another goal to advance but couldn't get it despite creating several scoring chances throughout the match - with a great performance by Leganes goalkeeper Nereo Champagne.
It is the third straight season that Villarreal has been eliminated in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
