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Real Madrid completed a stunning comeback win against Elche in their Copa del Rey Round of 16 match last night, courtesy of late goals from Isco and Eden Hazard.
The two sides played out a goalless game of 90 minutes, forcing the match to go into extra time. Shortly into the extended period of play, Marcelo was shown a red card for a foul on Tete Morente, putting Los Blancos on the backfoot. To make matters worse, the resulting free kick eventually led to Elche bagging the game's opening goal in the 103rd minute, with Gonzalo Verdu finding the back of the net.
However, Real Madrid weren't too keen on throwing in the towel, and fought hard with 10 men to overturn the scoreline. Just five minutes after Elche's opener, Real Madrid substitute Isco restored parity and the club's hopes of progressing to the next round.
With just over ten minutes to go and scores level, there was no telling how the game might have ended. In what soon turned out to be a fairytale ending, it was another substitute by the name of Eden Hazard who eventually gave Los Blancos the winner in the dying embers of the game.
The former Chelsea man scored a sublime goal after going around the Elche keeper in the 115th minute, ensuring a place in the next round for Los Blancos.
As per SB Nation, Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed sheer joy during his post-match interview and said:
“This is the match that has made me happiest from this part of the season. I warned the players that it could be a long match and that we had to be ready for everything, for mistakes, for conceding a goal, for extra time. This is an extraordinary squad. They fight until the end. They have character.”
The Italian tactician also praised Isco and Hazard for their invaluable contributions to Real Madrid's victory.
“Hazard and Isco won this match for us. Sometimes they’ve deserved to play more. They’re very professional. [Keeping them motivated] is about maintaining good relationships, as people not just as footballers,” Ancelotti said.
Although the Belgian forward has visibly struggled during his time in Madrid, last night's goal is bound to give him plenty of confidence going forward. While it may have just been his sixth goal in all competitions for Los Blancos, fans around the world reacted jubilantly to it.
On that note, here's a look at how
Twitter erupted in praise for Eden Hazard's late winner for Real Madrid
