It’s seventh heaven
Under-strength Real thump third-tier side in King’s Cup
MADRID: A much-weakened Real Madrid went goal crazy in the King’s Cup, smashing third-tier minnows Cultural Leonesa 7-1 away from home in the first leg of their last-32 encounter.
Marco Asensio and Alvaro Morata each struck twice in a one-sided match, but Spanish international Morata should have had at least a hat-trick as Real ran riot, ensuring the return leg at the Bernabeu is effectively a dead rubber.
“We had to stay focused from the start and we played a good match,” Asensio said.
Real’s forgotten man Fabio Coentrao made his return following seven months out injured on a routine evening for the Champions League winners.
But it was Nacho Fernandez’s amazing strike in the 68th that attracted all the attention at the Reino de Leon Stadium in northern Spain.
After a cross by James Rodriguez from the right flank, Fernandez jumped into the air just inside the area and turned his body sideways to fire a firm right-foot scissor-kick volley into the top of the net.
As Fernandez celebrated, Rodriguez took both hands to his head in apparent disbelief, and coach Zinedine Zidane looked amazed as he turned to the bench and smiled broadly.
“That was not normal,” Zidane said. “It’s a goal that will go down in history.
“I’m very pleased with the match. We started strongly and took the game seriously. That’s the most important thing for me, taking it seriously and respecting the opponent,” said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.
“But we haven’t won anything, we’re going to keep going because this is a long-term thing, in the King’s Cup, the Champions League or any other competition.”
Cultural Leonesa, who played in Spain’s Division One for the only time in the 1955-56 season, scored their lone goal through Benja Martinez in the 83rd minute, with his team trailing 6-0.
“We tried to play our game, but they are infinitely superior,” said Leonesa player Alejando Gallar.
Real, who have won the Cup 19 times, were thrown out of last season’s competition after fielding the ineligible Denis Cheryshev in a tie with Cadiz. Zidane rested most of Real’s top stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. Among those who played were Pepe, Dani Carvajal and Toni Kroos.