The Gossip

Joselu from Real Madrid successfully converted a penalty kick in the 54th minute, securing the opening goal for his team following a foul on Brahim Diaz.

Real Madrid smoothly advanced to the round of 16 in the Copa del Rey by securing a 3-1 victory against Arandina on Saturday. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid made progress with a 3-1 triumph over third-tier Lugo, thanks to a brace from Memphis Depay in the second half and an early goal from Angel Correa.

Arandina, the fourth-division hosts, displayed no fear in confronting the reigning champions. Despite the defending champions’ inability to take advantage of their first-half chances and their struggle to surpass goalkeeper Adrian Alvarez, Arandina stood strong.

Joselu scored the opening goal for Real in the 54th minute from the penalty spot, following a foul on Brahim Diaz. Just a minute later, Diaz himself extended the visitors’ lead. Despite struggling with injuries, Carlo Ancelotti’s team displayed some solid performances, including the debut of Arda Guller, who made his first appearance after recovering from several injuries since his summer signing. Real secured the victory with a stoppage-time goal from Brazilian forward Rodrygo, while Arandina managed to pull one back through an own goal by Nacho. Similarly, Atletico seemed to have a comfortable game, taking the lead against Lugo after just two minutes when Angel Correa easily scored from Javi Galan’s left-wing pass.

Lugo exhibited a resilient performance as Leandro Antonetti capitalized on their opponents’ defensive errors to equalize in the 39th minute.

However, Dutch international Depay swiftly restored Atletico’s advantage in the 66th minute, courtesy of Koke’s precise through ball. He then secured the victory with his second goal of the night just eight minutes later.

In a surprising turn of events, LaLiga’s struggling Alaves shocked Real Betis with a 1-0 victory at the rainy Mendizorroza Stadium. Carlos Benavidez’s goal in the 57th minute proved to be the decisive moment, eliminating the visitors who were the cup champions in 2022.

This defeat marked Betis’ first loss in regular time in the cup since 2019.

Girona advanced to the next round with a convincing 2-0 triumph over Elche. Daley Blind opened the scoring in the first half from a corner kick delivered by Portu, who later assisted Yan Couto to extend the lead in the second half.

In the Spanish Cup, Getafe’s Luis Milla found the back of the net in the 87th minute, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory for the visiting team against second-tier Espanyol. Meanwhile, Rayo Vayecano managed to defeat Huesca 2-0 in the final moments of extra time, thanks to goals from Oscar Valentin and Isi Palazon. The tournament will carry on with 10 matches scheduled for Sunday, featuring Barcelona’s encounter with fourth-tier Barbastro. The round of 16 fixtures are set to take place on January 17th.