MATCH REPORTS | 8 breathtaking matches on the road to the quarterfinals

GETAFE CF 1-3 SEVILLA FC

Sevilla FC got off to a strong start at the Coliseum and opened the scoring after just seven minutes, with Sergio Ramos beating David Soria to a Suso corner kick to head home to make it one-nil. Getafe CF bounced back in the first half, and equalised through Jaime Mata. The Blue and Whites' player controlled the ball with his chest whilst all alone around the penalty spot to then dink it past the on-rushing Seville goalkeeper, in what was a lovely composed finish. The Sevillian team pushed on again at the start of the second half. Isaac Romero, who had only made his debut in the Primera División just a few days ago, scored a brilliant brace that he will no doubt remember for the rest of his life. First he met a cross from the right flank with his head, and then he received a good pass from Sow, who controlled a loose ball and powered towards the box before laying it off to his team-mate to finish. Sevilla thus became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals.

ATHLETIC CLUB 2-0 DEPORTIVO ALAVÉS

In the Basque derby in the Last 16 of the cup, Athletic Club showed why the Copa del Rey is known as a happy hunting ground for them. The lions managed to open the scoring thanks to a goal by Asier Villalibre. He received the ball on the edge of the area on the left hand side, where he was surrounded by Deportivo Alavés defenders. However, he managed to wriggle away from them all by moving the ball to the outside and then unleashing a wonderful thumping left-foot shot that flew in at the near post. After the break, the visitors tried to cancel out their deficit, but it was Villalibre, the star of the match again, who would increase the gap on the scoreboard. De Marcos ran on to a ball on the right flank and then produced an early cross into a dangerous area that Villalibre, having timed his run well, headed into the net to make it 2-0. Ernesto Valverde's team advance to the next round with the wind in their sails.

CD TENERIFE 0-1 RCD MALLORCA

The Canaries and Balearics battled it out until the very end when penalties were looming ever closer. CD Tenerife and RCD Mallorca needed the full 90 minutes and extra time to be separated on the scoreboard. Although there were chances at both ends during the course of the match, it all came down to the very last moments of extra time. Cyle Larin seemingly made time amid chaos when he controlled a ball that had been headed to him by team-mate Antonio Sanchez to swivel towards goal and rifle into the net from close range, leaving the keeper no chance. The ball literally hit the net as the clock reached the 120th minute of extra time. The excitement that had filled the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium was quashed and the Mallorca bench exploded in celebration. Football, so sweet and yet so cruel, all at the same time.

 

 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE VAR REVIEW AUDIOS

 

VALENCIA CF 1-3 RC CELTA DE VIGO

In Wednesday's opening game, Rafa Benítez's side secured qualification on his return to Mestalla. A Celta de Vigo side with classic Benitez intensity and bite managed to take early control of the game thanks to their proficiency from set-pieces. First Luca de la Torre’s skillful flick finish from a corner, and then Anastasios Douvikas from a penalty, following a blatant foul, put the Galicians into a comfortable position. However, the home side were then awarded a penalty after a VAR review and home-grown player Pepelu reduced the deficit, giving hope to the home fans, who came close to celebrating levelling the match on various occasions, only for Douvikas' goal in the final minutes of the tie killing off any chances of a famous cup comeback.

CA OSASUNA 0-2 REAL SOCIEDAD DE FÚTBOL

Two penalties earned Real Sociedad a place in the last four in their win over the last season’s cup runners-up at El Sadar. With both teams playing controlled football in the first half, the turning point in the match came a quarter of an hour into the second and half tipped the balance in the visitors' favour. A penalty for a Catena challenge on Zakharyan was compounded for the Navarran side by the sending off of the Osasuna player following a VAR intervention. From that moment on and with a man down, the red and white team kept trying but could not overcome the skill and control of the Basques. Real Sociedad scored the second in injury time after another penalty was saved by  Aitor Fernandez only for Mikel Merino to pounce on the rebound and fire home.

GIRONA FC 3-1 REAL RAYO VALLECANO DE MADRID

The Primera Division leaders arrived at Montilivi with the intention of continuing with the free flowing football that they have been associated with in the league and they did not disappoint. They overwhelmed Rayo Vallecano during the first half hour. On the 15-minute mark, Stuani finished off an incisive passing move by Tsygankov and Portu down the right to take the lead. The Uruguayan would score again with a Panenka-style penalty, conceded through a clumsy tackle by Rayo defender Mumin. Shortly afterwards, defender Blind found his shooting boots for a near post finish after a corner had been cleared and then fired back in low to the near post. Not even half an hour into the game and the Catalan side looked to have already more or less put the game to bed, but the team in red and white took advantage of the home side's lackadaisical passing out from the back to close the gap. Nteka won back possession in the opposition half for the umpteenth time and this time he made no mistake in his thumping finish into the far side of the goal just before the break. And if the first half had been all about the goals, in the second Míchel's team came out to control the match without taking too many risks. Rayo were more attack-minded and constantly looking to create chances but they were held at arm's length and ended up being eliminated from the cup.

UNIONISTAS DE SALAMANCA 1-3 FC BARCELONA

FC Barcelona qualified after being forced to come from behind against the lowest ranked remaining team in the competition, Unionistas de Salamanca from the Primera Federación. Whatsmore, the home team certainly did not turn up just to make up the numbers against their world renowned visitors. Unionistas CF, backed by black and white scarves being waved fervently displaying the passion of the home support, came out all guns blazing and put the most successful team in the history of the competition in serious trouble. In fact, it was the home team who struck first when Juan Serrano crossed a high ball into the far post from the left wing and Álvaro Gómez, arriving unmarked at the back post like a steam train, thundered a volley into the back of the net, leaving the poor Barcelona goalkeeper looking on helplessly through his shot’s wonderful combination of power and control. A good effort indeed, almost 45 minutes of happiness and hope for the home fans who had turned up dreaming of a famous cup upset. However, it was not to be. Against the run of play in the first half, the great Gomez goal was to be cancelled out by Ferran Torres, who ran free in behind the Salamanca defence and finished well across Iván Martínez and into far corner after the Catalans counterattacked incisively from Salamanca corner. In the second half, Xavi's side improved in attack and turned the result around. Koundé's blasted shot from outside the area gave them the lead. Minutes later, Balde showed fine footwork and an explosive change of pace to break away from his marker on the left and power down the inside left channel before firing home with a rasping left foot shot that crashed in off the crossbar. Salamanca showed no signs of giving up though, but Iñaki Peña showed great reflexes and stood tall in the Barcelona goal to deny the home team and their fans the goal needed for them to dream of a route back into the match. Despite the home side's gallant performance in the Copa, Barça go into Friday’s quarter-final draw.

CLUB AT. MADRID 4-2 REAL MADRID

A thrilling derby in Spain's capital was a fitting way to finish off the Last 16 matches, a clash of the titans that did not disappoint, going all the way to extra time to be decided. Diego Pablo Simeone's side took the lead in the first half with a goal from Brazilian Samuel Lino, only for an unfortunate own goal from goalkeeper Oblak to level up the score before the break. After the restart, Morata gave the home side the lead again, only for Real Madrid to equalise once again when Bellingham's excellent pinpoint cross was headed into the net at the back post by Joselu, sending the game into extra time. In the additional time, Atlético were able to avenge the recent Spanish Super Cup semi-final defeat to their neighbours thanks to a superb individual goal from Antoine Griezmann, who fired past the Real Madrid keeper from a tight angle. Then, in the final moments of the game, substitute Roro Riquelme put the final nail in the coffin for Real Madrid by curling a first time shot into the far side netting after a direct counterattack. All in all, Atletico march on to the quarter-finals having knocked out their biggest rivals.

These are the results:

Home team	Away team	Result	Highlights
GETAFE CF	SEVILLA FC	1-3	HIGHLIGHTS
ATHLETIC CLUB	DEPORTIVO ALAVÉS	2-0	HIGHLIGHTS
CD TENERIFE	RCD MALLORCA	0-1	HIGHLIGHTS
VALENCIA CF	RC CELTA DE VIGO	1-3	HIGHLIGHTS
CA OSASUNA	REAL SOCIEDAD DE FÚTBOL	0-2	HIGHLIGHTS
GIRONA FC	RAYO VALLECANO DE MADRID	3-1	HIGHLIGHTS
UNIONISTAS DE SALAMANCA	FC BARCELONA	1-3	HIGHLIGHTS
CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID	REAL MADRID CF	4-2	HIGHLIGHTS