Real Madrid 2-2 Fuenlabrada (Agg 4-2): 5 Talking Points
Real Madrid survived a scare from Segunda B side Fuenlabrada to earn a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu, finishing the night 4-2 on aggregate and advancing to the pre-quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.
Luis Milla stunned the home side with a howitzer in the 25th minute, before substitute Gareth Bale turned things around in the second half, setting up Borja Mayoral in the 63rd and 70th minute. Alvaro Portilla grabbed a deserved draw for the minnows with a well-taken goal in the 89th minute.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Alcorconazo 2.0 - The Bernabeu was right to whistle
The Madrid home crowd have been in the news this season - what with their treatment of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo. The jeers have been plentiful and as a result the Bernabeu faithful have copped plenty of criticism from the rest of the football world.
If there ever was a night for jeers, however, this was it. Even if the starting XI Zinedine Zidane had put out was chock full of reserve players and Castilla products, there was enough quality to comfortably see off a Segunda B side.
What was more egregious about the performance was that Madrid were second best in the competitive stakes - forgive me if I'm channelling my inner British pundit here - but where was the passion? Fuenlabrada clearly wanted it more, and if Lady Luck smiled their way, Real Madrid could very well have suffered another Alcorconazo and been dumped out of the Copa del Rey.