Spain: Striker Antoine Griezmann scored in extra time to help Atletico beat Real 4-2 in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, almost ten days after their defeat to the same opponent in the Spanish Super Cup.
Before the match kicked off, Griezmann was honored as Atletico Madrid's all-time leading scorer. He scored his 174th goal for Atletico in their defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final on January 10th, breaking the previous record of 173 goals held by Luis Aragones – a legend who played for Atletico from 1964-1974 and passed away in 2014. The French striker received a framed jersey with the number 174 and posed for a commemorative photo with his wife Erika Choperena and their three children.
Griezmann celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid, giving Atletico Madrid a 3-2 lead in the Copa del Rey round of 16. Photo: AFP
About nine minutes later, Atletico extinguished their city rivals' hopes of a comeback when Memphis Depay set up Rodrigo Riquelme, who slotted the ball into the far corner to seal a 4-2 victory. Both Depay and Riquelme were substitutes who came on in extra time.
This result helped Atletico "avenge" their 3-5 defeat to Real in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final more than a week ago. At the Al Awwal stadium in Riyadh that day, the two teams drew 3-3 and went into extra time, where Real made the difference by scoring two goals thanks to late substitutes Joselu and Brahim Diaz.
A nearly identical scenario unfolded at the Metropolitano Stadium last night, with the two teams remaining tied after regulation time. Since Diego Simeone took over as Atletico's manager, eight out of 13 Madrid derbies across all competitions have gone into extra time. In the previous 22 matches, Real and Atletico only went into extra time once – in the 1975 Copa del Rey final.
Jude Bellingham dribbles through a crowd of Atletico Madrid players in the Copa del Rey Round of 16. Photo: AFP
Real started better with Jude Bellingham's shot hitting the crossbar in the 11th minute and Vinicius and Rodrygo's chances being saved by goalkeeper Jan Oblak, but Atletico were the ones to take the lead. In the 39th minute, Antonio Rudiger's header to clear the ball inadvertently became an assist for Samuel Lino, who broke free and finished with a one-touch diagonal shot to open the scoring. Real equalized in injury time when Oblak misjudged his position and scored an own goal from Luka Modric's free-kick.
The second half unfolded similarly, with Atletico regaining the lead in the 57th minute. Eduardo Camavinga made a mistake in intercepting the ball, sending it back into the penalty area. Andriy Lunin then rushed out and deflected the ball off Rudiger, allowing Alvaro Morata to easily slot it into the empty net, scoring his sixth goal in 11 matches against Real Madrid across all competitions – matching his tally against Sevilla in 14 games.
Real Madrid continued to show their mettle with an equalizer in the 82nd minute, when Bellingham's cross deflected off an Atletico defender, allowing substitute striker Joselu to head the ball into an empty net. However, in extra time, Atletico capitalized on their opportunities better to advance to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Starting lineup
Atletico : Oblak, Gimenez, Hermoso, Witsel, Saul (Molina 56), De Paul (Azpilicueta 106, Savic 116), Koke, Lino (Riquelme 90), Llorente (Barrios 98), Griezmann, Morata (Depay 98).
Real : Lunin, Nacho (Garcia 106), Rudiger, Mendy (Diaz 66), Carvajal, Vinicius, Camavinga (Ceballos 106), Bellingham, Modric (Kroos 66), Valverde (Tchouameni 73), Rodrygo (Joselu 80).
Hong Duy
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