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Real Madrid Suffer Before Surging Past Numancia

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Real Madrid withstood a strong challenge from second division side Numancia to claim a 3-0 victory in their Copa del Rey Round of 16 first leg on a bitterly cold Thursday night at Los Pajaritos in Soria.

Gareth Bale converted a first-half penalty kick before Isco scored from the spot as well late on and Borja Mayoral added a header in the final seconds to give Los Blancos a comfortable advantage heading into next week’s return leg at the Bernabeu.

The victory will do little to quell the doubts surrounding Zinedine Zidane’s team since their Clasico loss before Christmas. Real struggled to put away their Segunda counterparts, who played the final half-hour with 10 men following Diamanka’s sending off.

It was not until Isco’s entrance late in the second-half that Real played their customary football. Still, it is a win that Real will hope be the start of another trophy-laden calendar year.

Manager Zinedine Zidane made wholesale changes in his starting XI, with Bale getting his first start in 100 days, while the only Clasico holdover was full-back Dani Carvajal.

Numancia came out flying, while Real were left to suffer. Los Blancos stood flat-footed while the hosts in red flocked toward the Real goal and Higinio Marin could call himself unlucky when his shot from the right rolled just wide of Kiko Casilla’s far post.

Little by little though Real started gaining a foothold in the match. Lucas Vazquez had the first chance for the visitors, but fired into the side netting with Mayoral all alone at the back post. Mayoral would get that far post chance minutes later when Marco Asensio’s free-kick went untouched, but the Castilla product squandered the opportunity.

All of Numancia’s hard work in the first-half would be undone with one swipe of the right foot of defender Carlos Gutierrez, who clumsily took down Lucas Vazquez just inside the area, and Bale dutifully converted the penalty to hand Real a 1-0 advantage. The penalty call was a tough one to swallow for the home fans, considering they felt Dani Nieto was the victim of a Theo hold minutes before in the Real area.

Referee Estrada Fernandez further incensed Los Pajaritos at the start of the second-half when Marin collided with Nacho in the area, but the only decision made by the Catalonian official was issuing a yellow card to the Numancia No. 9.

Things for the hosts grew even more difficult on the hour mark when Diamanka was sent off with his second yellow card of the affair for a foul on Nacho.

Despite playing a man down, the second division side continued to fight. Urged on by their supporters, Numancia managed to fend off Real’s advances for a second goal, while creating a chance or two at the other end.

Zidane was keen to put the tie to bed, and brought on Isco for Dani Ceballos after Mateo Kovacic had previously come on for Bale. The French boss had to have had a lump in his throat though moments later when a turnover led to Inigo Perez hitting the crossbar from midfield and missing the goal of the tournament — and the equaliser — by an inch.

Real’s best moments of the match came at the end. A superb play from Isco as part of a one-two combination with Lucas Vazquez almost ended with a goal, but Isco fired over the crossbar. The Spain international would make up for it minutes later when he converted a penalty after Lucas Vazquez was tripped by Medina in the area. Replays showed it was more of a meeting of the feet rather than a takedown, but Estrada Fernandez felt otherwise.

Los Blancos then put the tie to bed with their third of the night, as Mayoral headed in a cross from substitute Achraf in the waning moments.

Real return to action on Sunday in LaLiga at Celta.

– Match facts:

0.- Numancia: Munir; Medina, Ripa (Valcarce, min. 20) (Mateu, min. 46), Gutierrez, Dani Calvo; Diamanka, Larrea, Pere Milla, Grego (Inigo Perez, min. 63), Dani Nieto; Marin

3.- Real Madrid: Casilla; Carvajal, Vallejo, Nacho, Theo; Llorente, Ceballos (Isco, min. 74), Lucas; Bale (Kovacic, min. 62), Asensio (Achraf, min. 85), Mayoral

Goals: 0-1, min. 35: Bale (p); 0-2, min. 89: Isco (p); 0-3, min. 91: Mayoral

Referee: Estrada Fernandez (Catalonian).

Yellow Cards: Diamanka (Min. 31) for Numancia, Larrea (Min. 38) for Numancia, Marin (Min. 52) for Numancia, Vallejo (Min. 59) for Real Madrid, Medina (Min. 82) for Numancia, Gutierrez (Min. 88) for Numancia, Kovacic (Min. 93) for Real Madrid

Red cards: Diamanka (Min. 60) for Numancia

Stadium: Los Pajaritos

Attendance: 8.727

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