Atletico sail into Spanish Cup quarters

MONACO IN FRENCH CUP SEMIS

Madrid, Jan. 10: Atletico Madrid booked their place in the quarter- finals of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday after seeing off third- tier Lleida, while new signing Luciano Vietto’s hat- trick fired Valencia past Las Palmas.

Playing in front of a sparsely populated Wanda Metropolitano, it took dominant Atletico until the 57th minute to extend their 4- 0 first leg lead, Yannick Carrasco meeting Diego Costa’s cutback and slotting home the opener.

Kevin Gameiro tapped in the second 17 minutes later after a neat burst into the box from Angel Correa, and Vitolo made it three nine minutes from the end, racing through and crashing home his first Atletico goal to complete a 7- 0 aggregate victory.

Argentine forward Vietto ended a long goal drought in spectacular style less than a week after arriving at Valencia on loan from Atletico, as Las Palmas were dispatched 4- 0.

Following a 1- 1 draw in the opening leg, Vietto put Valencia ahead at the Mestalla with his first competitive goal December 2016. since Thomas Lemar scored as Monaco beat Cote d’Azur rivals Nice 2- 1 at the Allianz Riviera on Tuesday to reach the French League Cup semifinals. Lemar, who has been heavily linked with a move to England, nodded Monaco into an early lead, before Alassane Plea equalised after a video review.

Monaco moved back in front ahead of the halftime through Adama Diakhaby and Leonardo Jardim’s French champions held on with the aid of a terrible miss by the Nice midfielder Pierre LeesMelou.