Heavyweights advance in King’s Cup

MADRID: Holders Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla eased into the last 16 of the King’s Cup on Wednesday, but Basque duo Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad were eliminated in stunning fashion by third-tier opposition in Formentera and Lleida respectively.

Already leading 3-0 from the first leg, Barca boss Ernesto Valverde made 10 changes from Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash at Valencia with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez among those to drop out for a 5-0 rout of Real Murcia.

Fernando Torres scored his first two goals of the season as Atletico saw off Elche’s first-leg resistance to progress 4-1 on aggregate with a 3-0 win at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Wissam Ben Yedder scored twice in the opening six minutes as Sevilla cruised past Cartagena 4-0 to seal a 7-0 aggregate win in the absence of coach Eduardo Berizzo.

The stories of the night came in the Basque country where both Formentera and Lleida struck late to secure huge upsets.

Formentera’s 12,000 population would fit four times over into Athletic’s San Mames Stadium, but the visitors from a tiny island off Ibiza stunned Bilbao thanks to a 97th-minute winner from Alvaro Muniz to advance 2-1 on aggregate.

Athletic’s rivals Sociedad suffered a similar fate as they blew a 2-0 lead on the night and 3-0 advantage on aggregate to lose on away goals to Lleida.

The returning Gareth Bale helped Real Madrid overcome a scare of their own to reach the last 16 on Tuesday despite being held 2-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu by Fuenlabrada in a 4-2 aggregate win.

Celta Vigo, Leganes, Levante, Las Palmas and Numancia have also sealed their places in the last 16. AFP