Copa Del Rey Round-Up: Sevilla Win Thriller As Quique Sanchez Flores Triumphs In Atletico Madrid Debut

Copa del Rey, Fourth Round First Leg

Atletico Ciudad 2-4 Sevilla
Copa del Rey Fixtures & Results

Sevilla were in no mood to entertain nasty shocks against Atletico Ciudad as coach, Manolo Jimenez sent out his strongest available XI which included the likes of Julien Escude, Drago, Jesus Navas, Diego Capel and Luis Fabiano.

But a nasty surprise was in store for them just ten minutes into the game as Guille Roldan gave the home side the lead with a cool finish past Javi Varas after he was left unattended inside the area.

Ten minutes later, the crowd were treated to a spectacular emotional roller-coaster ride. First Luis Fabiano netted twice in the space of sixty seconds to send Sevilla into the lead, but a mere minute after that, Roldan struck again to level proceedings.

But that wild celebration only lasted seven minutes as Jesus Navas put the visitors back in front when he finished off a through pass from Fabiano. And eight minutes later, it was game over after Diego Capel pounced on a poor clearance from Ciudad goalkeeper, Javi Munoz. There were no further goals in the second half after a memorable, pulsating first 45 minutes in Cartagonova.   

Marbella 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Copa del Rey Fixtures & Results

Quique Sanchez Flores took the reigns at the Atletico bench for the first time and he wasn’t about to let any upsets ruin his bow as he fielded an entire regular first team with the exception of forwards, Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero.

Asenjo, Ujfalusi, Pablo, Antonio Lopez, Assuncao, Maxi and Jose Antonio Reyes all took to the field against the reincarnation of ex-Atleti president, Jesus Gil’s other former club. But Los Colchoneros didn’t have it all their own way and they were fortunate to take the lead after 18 minutes through a Troyana own goal after he bundled the ball into his own net from an Ujfalusi cross.

Maxi Rodriguez then hit the post just past the half-hour mark with a fierce drive just outside the area, but the Argentine finally netted the insurance goal in the 83rd minute when he got to the end of substitute, Simao’s through ball and finished with a clinical shot across goal.

Recreativo Huelva 1-1 Sporting Gijon
Copa del Rey Fixtures & Results

Sporting are flying high in La Liga at present and they travelled to the Nuevo Colombino in good spirits after a commendable 0-0 draw with Real Madrid at the weekend.

But what the illustrious Los Blancos couldn’t do in 90 minutes, Recre did after just five when Daniel Candeias gave the Segunda Division outfit the lead. But Sporting made sure that they returned to El Molinon for the second leg on a level playing field when Mate Bilic equalised just two minutes into the second half.

KS Leong, Goal.com