Real Madrid is saved from a cup disaster in extra time
The whites suffer and win (5-2) in a gray duel against Celta thanks to the goals at the end from Endrick and Valverde to advance to the quarterfinals of the Cup
Real Madrid beat RC Celta 5-2 this Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 Copa del Rey, thanks to goals in extra time from Brazilian striker Endrick and Uruguayan midfielder Fede Valverde, after Jonathan Bamba and Marcos Alonso, with a penalty, equalized the two-goal advantage that the Madridistas had.
Kylian Mbappé’s goals, at the end of the first half and after an action in which Celta requested a penalty from Lunin on Swedberg, and Vinícius Júnior, as soon as the second half started, promised peace in a Bernabéu upset with its players for the defeat in the Super Cup. But that income did not give the merengue team the strength, which saw how the Galicians got closer thanks to a goal after a mistake in the construction and forced extra time with an unnecessary penalty from Asencio that Marcos Alonso converted.
With less football than they won, Real Madrid showed better legs and more success than Celta in extra time and the goals fell one after another until the final 5-2 was completed, with a double from Endrick and the same from Valverde to certify the ticket to the quarterfinals of the Cup.
The Cup was received by a somewhat soulless Bernabéu and a very cold night due to the temperature and the recent disaster in the Super Cup at the hands of Barça. And the Madrid feud had its culprits: Aurélien Tchouameni, mainly, and Lucas Vázquez and Caro Ancelotti, against whom there were whistles. But the Frenchman raised the first applause from the white stands with a powerful long-range shot that Iván Villar deflected well.
But the football of both teams did not help, with a very slow pace and no bite on the part of either team. Vinícius Júnior was desperate on the left wing, invisible to his teammates, and Kylian Mbappé did not appear either, very much alone as a striker.
Ancelotti’s men dominated possession without problem, but without offensive ideas, very flat in the opposite half. Only Brahim Díaz and Mbappé stretched their team by testing Villar in two head-to-head matches, somewhat heeled, without luck. And Celta was not uncomfortable, very committed and trusting their options on the counter thanks to the depth of their wingers, Óscar Mingueza and Sergio Carreira.
And the scoreboard opened in favor of Real Madrid when Mbappé wanted to put an end to the cold atmosphere at the Bernabéu, inventing a brilliant play on the left, entering the area decisively with a bicycle, and then shooting Villar with his left foot. . 1-0 with controversy, because the entire Celta protested a previous penalty, in the same play, against Swedberg de Lunin that neither the referee nor the VAR considered.
With the celestial anger and the Madrid relief, the teams went to the locker room, to give way to a second half that started with the rhythm that they lacked in the first 45 minutes, and with Real Madrid more plugged in. The locals took advantage of the less defensive tension of the light blues and paved the way to the quarterfinals with Vinícius’ 2-0 with the first touch of a pass from Brahim, who first received a delicious delivery from Mbappé.
The Real Madrid players showed a different attitude and tension, and Mbappé was able to increase the lead with a header one meter from the goal line, but he missed. And ‘Vini”s shot, just a few minutes later and alone against Villar, was met by a Starfelt who gave his life to arrive when the ball went in.
Ancelotti’s men, with the cushion of 2-0 and facing a somewhat disorganized Celta, enjoyed their best minutes and opportunities, it seemed that 3-0 was about to fall. However, Celta had a great chance with a shot in front of Sotelo that Lunin sent to the corner. Scary for the whites, although now they were more comfortable.
Madrid’s advantage could have been higher, but the VAR annulled the goal by Arda Güler, who pushed her at will thanks to the generosity of Vinícius inside the area when he faced the goalkeeper, but the Brazilian’s position when receiving the ball was advanced. The one that did count was Bamba’s goal after a rude mistake by Camavinga at the start, to put fear in the Bernabéu’s body in the final stretch.
And Celta’s blow, at least to force extra time, came from a penalty committed by Raúl Asencio when the game was already dying, and Marcos Alonso did not miss from eleven meters, to silence the Bernabéu and make the celestial fans dream. Already in the extra 30 minutes, Real Madrid tried to make use of the fresh legs of Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde and Endrick, who entered before the end of the 90 minutes.
But with extra time came the lack of control, and there Real Madrid is comfortable, although it did not quite find the way to victory, and suffered a lot at the back with the counters of Celta, who asked for two more penalties for hands that the referee did not understand. to indicate maximum penalty.
Real Madrid did not want penalties and showed more punch than their rival, with the powerful and beautiful goals from Endrick, twice, and Valverde in the second half of extra time, to no longer suffer any more scares and advance to the quarterfinals of the Cup of the King.
TECHNICAL SHEET.
–RESULT: REAL MADRID, 3 – RC CELTA, 2 (1-0, at halftime).
–TEAMS.
REAL MADRID: Lunin; Lucas Vázquez, Asensio, Rüdiger, Fran García (Bellingham, min.90+2); Tchouameni, Modric (Valverde, min.79), Ceballos (Guler, min.70); Brahim (Camavinga, min.70), Mbappé (Endrick, min.79) and Vinícius (Rodrygo, min.105).
RC CELT: Ivan Villar; Mingueza, Javi Rodriguez (Manquillo, min.95), Starfelt, Marcos Alonso, Carreira (Cervi, min.75); Beltran (Steel, min.56), Moriba; Hugo Alvarez (Bamba, 67 mins), Swedberg (Duran, 56 mins); Borja Churches (Lopez, min.75).
–GOALS.
1-0, min.38: Kylian Mbappé.
2-0, min.48: Vinícius Júnior.
2-1, min.84: Jonathan Bamba.
2-2, min.90+1: Marcos Alonso.
3-2, min.108: Endrick.
4-2, min.112: Fede Valverde.
5-2, min.119: Endrick.
–REFEREE: Munuera Montero (C. Andaluz). He cautioned Asencio (min.90+1) and Endrick (min.109) at Real Madrid and Iván Villar (min.96), Starfelt (min.101), Marcos Alonso (min.101) and Borja Iglesias (min.101). 112) in RC Celta.
–STADIUM: Santiago Bernabéu.