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Fuenlabrada 0-2 Real Madrid
Goals: Marco Asensio 63', Lucas Vazquez 80'
A trip to the city outskirts saw Real Madrid claim a 2-0 win over lower league side, Fuenlabrada in their Copa Del Rey first leg clash. The match was termed to be a total mismatch but Madrid failed to dominate proceedings as they were expected to.
It was an unsatisfactory performance from the European champions in a game where the club's youth got a chance to show their mettle.
It took the visitors an hour to open the scoring, courtesy of a penalty. Marco Asensio did the needful and Lucas Vazquez followed with yet another spot kick in the final quarter of the game.hard-fought game.
Both the teams ended the game with 10 men on the field in what was a hard-fought game. On that note, let's take a look at 5 major talking points from Real Madrid's win over minnows Fuenlabrada:
#5 Real Madrid's bench strength tested
Zinedine Zidane handed starts to the likes of Borja Mayoral, Achraf Hakimi, Dani Ceballos and Jesus Vallejo in the first leg, to take a closer look at the depth of this Real Madrid squad. If not for Theo Hernandez, Real Madrid would have fielded a playing XI all born in Spain for the first time since 1996. That would have been some kind of achievement!
In the absence of big names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, the young-blooded Real Madrid side got the job done, but failed to impress with their display. The first half saw a laboured performance from the visitors with the forwards trying too hard to impress at times and complicating matters in the process.
The first penalty was also a controversial one and despite winning this game, Zidane would be worried about his squad's bench strength. Barring the game against Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid have failed to impress in any of their games so far, which speaks a lot about the Champions League-winning squad.
Real Madrid's summer business raised a few eyebrows when they opted not to sign a big name and it has become certain that this Madrid squad has become weaker than in the previous campaign.
#4 Achraf Hakimi is making the most of his chances
Dani Carvajal's absence due to a heart problem was termed by many as a problem too big to solve. Offloading Danilo suddenly felt like a mistake by the Real Madrid board. But the emergence of Achraf Hakimi has immediately lessened the blow of Carvajal's illness; such has been the impression created by the young fullback.
Against Fuenlabrada, Hakimi displayed his brilliant attacking side by winning the penalty for the first goal. The fullback took on opponents at will and was always present to give options for the attackers. The youngster has successfully cemented his position in the first team after a series of impressive outings including the one against Tottenham Hotspur.
#3 The match was played in a stadium named after Fernando Torres
Yes, you read that right. Real Madrid played at the Fernando Torres stadium last night. El Nino has been honoured by the good folks of Fuenlabrada by naming their stadium after him. Highly unusual for a player who has never played for the side!
Despite spending the majority of his career with Atletico Madrid, it seems that a die-hard fan base of his is situated in the town on Fuenla. Meanwhile, Torres, yesterday, equalled Luis Aragones' record for most appearances for Atletico Madrid with 368 appearances.
The people of this town on the borders of the capital city will hope for a clash with the Colchoneros in the near future so that Torres himself can come down and play at a stadium named after him.
#2 A disappointing outing for Lucas Vazquez
A traditional winger and an integral member of this Real Madrid squad, Lucas Vazquez has built up his reputation as a Zinedine Zidane faithful. Whenever the team has needed him, the forward has delivered the goods. But the resurgence of Isco, coupled with the meteoric rise of Marco Asensio has shadowed Vazquez to a bit-part role.
He has made just three league starts this season and has not made an appearance in Europe yet. Against Fuenlabrada, Vazquez was not at his confident best, losing possession on a number of occasions.
He looked second-best in almost all of the 50-50 battles that he was involved in, and was hounded out by the defenders on the flank. Vazquez got on the score sheet with a well-taken penalty, but it was not a display which would have given Zidane plenty to think about over starting Vazquez in the big games.
#1 This farcical cup format needs to change
The early rounds of the Copa Del Rey are a drab affair for everyone included - the fans, the players and the organizers. Seeding top teams with lower league sides is a good measure for sides like Fuenlabrada to get some recognition and receive some extra cash through revenue and TV rights. But, a two-legged fixture kills the competition and always puts the tie in favour of the big team.
Imagine how interesting the match would have been if it had been a one-legged fixture when Real Madrid and Fuenlabrada were at 0-0 after the hour mark! Instead, Real were comfortable knowing that the second leg at home will surely help them to proceed further.
For the bottom tier teams to have a chance of proceeding and improving the quality of the competition, the format needs to be changed by taking away the insurance of a second leg.
