- Real Madrid secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Leganés to reach the Copa del Rey semifinals
- Academy product Gonzalo García scored the winning goal in stoppage time
- Leganés erased a two-goal deficit before falling to a late Madrid strike
Key Takeaways:
Real Madrid advanced to the Copa del Rey semifinals after a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Leganés away from home. Carlo Ancelotti’s side looked in control early on but had to battle until the final seconds to secure the win.
Gonzalo García wins it at the death to send Real Madrid to the Copa del Rey semifinals 😱
Perfect time for the 20-year-old to grab his first goal for Los Blancos pic.twitter.com/rNIdwVAtHA
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 5, 2025
As expected, Ancelotti rotated his squad, giving opportunities to younger players. Andriy Lunin started in goal, while Arda Güler and Endrick featured in the attack. The squad included eight academy players, with one of them – Gonzalo García – scoring the decisive goal deep into stoppage time.
The visitors made a strong start, with Luka Modrić opening the scoring in the 18th minute and Endrick doubling the lead just seven minutes later. Despite appearing to have full control of the match, Real Madrid allowed Leganés back into the contest. Juan Cruz converted a penalty in the 39th minute before leveling the score in the 59th with an assist from Darko Brašanac.
Leganés pushed for an upset, but Real Madrid responded in dramatic fashion. In the dying moments of stoppage time, 20-year-old Gonzalo García struck to seal the victory and send Los Blancos into the final four of the competition. This marked Real Madrid’s second win over Leganés this season, having previously defeated them 3-0 in La Liga.