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Score: Real Madrid 2-2 Numancia (5-2 aggregate)
Goalscorers: Lucas Vazquez 11', 59' (Real Madrid); Guillermo 45', 82' (Numancia)
Real Madrid made their way into the final eight of the Copa del Rey with a 2-2 draw against Numancia at the Santiago Bernabeu. Carrying a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead into the second leg, Zinedine Zidane made 10 changes from the side that last played against Celta Vigo over the weekend.
Lucas Vazquez scored for the hosts on either side of half-time but saw both of his goals being countered by Numancia striker Guillermo who equalized twice for the minnows.
The visitors also went a man down in the 90th minute when Dani Calvo was shown a second yellow in the game. On that note, let's discuss this second leg in more detail by plotting the five key talking points from the game:
#5 An early goal eliminated Numancia's hopes
The visitors could really have been in the competition if Real Madrid had not scored those two late goals in the previous leg. But still, undeterred by the aggregate score, the second division side looked to make the most of their opportunities in the second leg.
Numancia started the game brightly and pressed intensively in the starting minutes of the game. The visitors also had healthy possession in the first ten minutes of the game as they genuinely looked like a team capable of hurting the already hurt lion that is Real Madrid are at the moment.
But a brilliant break from Real Madrid in the 10th minute changed all that as Lucas Vazquez headed at the far post from a pinpoint cross from the right to give Madrid a lead on the night. That goal dampened the moods of those Numancia players who then started looking a bit passive and spent the majority of the remaining first half defending deep.
#4 A half-empty Bernabeu
Just before the kick-off, the Santiago Bernabeu was so sparsely filled that it looked like the struggles of Catalonian independence had crept into Madrid and caused this game to play under closed doors. But it soon got to at least half the capacity as the time went by which is also a disappointing number when you look at it from the tournament's perspective.
But by 9.30 pm Spanish time, a start for dead rubber against a second division opponent was hardly going to excite the Real Madrid fans to come and see their players playing it out on a cold January night.
One of the other reasons that might have caused such a low turnout at the Bernabeu was the faltering form of Zidane's men. Real Madrid have not won a game in their last four tries and have already seemingly lowered their weapons in the title race.
Low turnouts like this again bring the age-old discussion to the fore - Are two legs necessary to be played in the knockout stages of the Copa del Rey? This incident also comes on a day when Sevilla's extortion plans from high ticket prices in the UEFA Champions League came to light.
#3 An impressive outing for Borja Mayoral
The academy graduate has been reduced to a bit-part role this season but whenever given the opportunity, Mayoral has delivered. The striker came into this game on the back of five goals from his last six starts. Though he did not get on the score sheet, Mayoral impressed with his all-round abilities and selflessness.
Mayoral showed some good first touches with his ability to widen the play or dropping deep and creating space highly evident. He assisted Vazquez for his second goal, heading down Marco Asensio's cross for the winger to slot it home.
Though Mayoral could have benefited from running in the channels at times, it was the sort of performance which will keep the striker in contention. And with Karim Benzema badly out of form, Mayoral can stake a claim for a starting berth in La Liga as well.
#2 A night to remember for Numancia and Guillermo
A 3-0 deficit in the first leg had ultimately put Numancia out of the tie by a fair margin. But the second-division side came to the Bernabeu to get something out of this tie and what they managed was pretty impressive. Coming to the cauldron that is the Santiago Bernabeu is a tough ask for any team in the world, but Numancia hardly looked nervous by the occasion.
Though a scantily filled stadium might have worked in their favour, the visitors took the game to Real Madrid at times. Their counter-attacks were nice and crisp as Numancia used the wide areas pretty well. And the star of their impressive performance was the first half substitute Guillermo.
The striker came on in the 41st minute and got on the score sheet minutes after, courtesy of some good work by Marc Mateu. His second was a beautifully worked goal too. Guillermo got at the end of a curling cross from the left and thumped in a powerful header beyond Kiko Casilla.
In the end, it was a famous result for Numancia made possible by the goalscoring heroics of the 24-year-old Spanish forward.
#1 Lucas Vazquez - star of this tie
After winning two penalties in the first leg, Vazquez improved on his returns by scoring a brace for his side and saving grace from what could have been a total disaster. Real Madrid were creative and fluid going forward and one of the major factors for the hosts was Vazquez's positioning for the chances that mattered.
Vazquez was in the right place at the right time for both of his goals. For the first, he got on the end of a perfect Dani Carvajal cross and headed it home with conviction. His second was a proper striker's finish, latching onto a head down by Mayoral and finishing it acrobatically to send the ball into the back of the net.
This was the winger's first brace for Real Madrid in 109 appearances and it came at a time when his side needed it badly to avoid an upset.
Vazquez has also proved to be a lucky charm for Real Madrid this season - Zidane's side have won 10 and drawn 1 in the 11 matches that the winger has started in all competitions. Rather lucky, don't you think?
