Celta inflict shock Cup defeat on Real Madrid

MADRID: After surrendering a record 40-game unbeaten run, Real Madrid suffered a second defeat in four days on Wednesday as Celta Vigo took a 2-1 first leg lead from their Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.

All three goals came in a sixminute spell midway through the second-half as strikes from former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas and Jonny either side of Marcelo’s reply for Madrid handed Celta a famous win.

Real can still salvage their quest for a first ever treble of Cup, La Liga and Champions League, but now need to score at least twice when the visit Balaidos for the second leg on Jan 25.

“I am not worried,” insisted Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

“It is not a good moment for us, two defeats (in a row), but we can overcome this. We still have the return leg to go.

“Losing 2-1 the result is not in our favour, but we know we can go there and change that.”

Celta Vigo boss Eduardo Berizzo said the Galicians’ first win at the Bernabeu in a decade didn’t surprise him, but that they would need to be even better next week on home soil to finish the tie off.

“None of my team’s victories surprise me. It is a huge win, coming to a place like this and facing the best team in the world, but we believed we could do it,” said Berizzo.

“We are happy to win, but it obliges us to play even better in Vigo because we are facing a brilliant opponent and it is the toughest footballing test.” —