It wasn’t the most memorable game for Real Madrid, but they are through to the fourth round of the Copa del Rey nonetheless.
Taking on Segunda Federacion side Cacereno at the Estadio Principe Felipe on Tuesday evening, it was expected to be a comfortable game for Los Blancos.
A number of regular first team players started, including Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. The likes of Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos were all given opportunities to impress head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
However, the match was anything but comfortable despite the strong squad. It was a match of very few chances for either side, as Cacereno battled hard to keep their superstar opponents at bay. They were largely successful, but their resistance was broken with 20 minutes remaining.
Ceballos played the ball out to Rodrygo on the left, who cut inside two players and curled a beautiful effort beyond Cacereno keeper Ivan Moreno. In a match that lacked quality, the Brazilian’s skill and finesse lit up the stadium as Real Madrid edged ahead.
It remained 1-0 to the away side, who progress to the next round of the competition. The performance will be a worry to Ancelotti, but when it comes to cup football, the result is most important, and Real Madrid got it.
Image via EFE