Copa del Rey - 2017/18

Third Round

CF Talavera de la Reina 0-1 FC Cartagena
Real Murcia CF 3-1 UE Olot

Both our teams through to the last 32 and will now have to take on the big boys!

Just for the fun of it, here are the rules!!!

ROUND OF 32
New entries: Clubs participating in La Liga gained entry.
Opponents seeding: The seven teams from La Liga which qualified for 2017–18 UEFA competitions, faced the remaining seven teams from Segunda División B and Tercera División.
The five Segunda División teams played against La Liga teams.
The eight remaining La Liga teams faced each other.
Local team seeding: First leg at home of team in lower division.
Knock-out tournament type: Double match

So, on my understanding, our teams will be drawn against one of these:

Real Madrid CF
FC Barcelona
Club Atlético de Madrid
Sevilla FC
Villarreal CF
Real Sociedad de Fútbol
Athletic Club

The draw will take place on Thursday 28th September. The games will be on 25th October and 29th November.  Murcia and Cartagena will be at home in the first legs.

And we're underway in Cartagena.............................



But you won't recognise many of the Sevilla team....

David Soria: Corchia, Geis, Lenglet, Carole; Borja Lasso, Krohn-Dehli, Goose; Sarabia, Correa and Ben Yedder.

(Only Corchia, Krohn-Dehli and Sarabia were in the starting eleven against Valencia on Saturday.) 

25 mins....Sarabia lobs the keeper to put Sevilla into the lead.  0-1.

35 mins....the Cartagena defence trip over one-another and Correa makes it 0-2.

I didn't give Sevilla enough credit for that goal.  It was a superb back-heel from Ben Yedder that set Correa up for an easy finish.

Half-time 0-2.

50 mins....Muriel on for the second half makes it 0-3.

And that's that.  Cartagena have their goal-keeper Marcos Morales to thank for saving an Algar-style thrashing.

I think Real Murcia should be honoured that Barca put out the team they did. Apart from Aleña and Arnaiz, youngsters who need experience, and Cillessen who's a Dutch International, all the other starters have figured in La Liga this season.

Look at the team Real Madrid fielded tonight:

Casilla; Achraf, Vallejo, Nacho, Tejero; Ceballos, Llorente, Asensio; Lucas, Mayoral y Theo.

Don't be surprised if they catch a cold. They're playing at CF Fuenlabrada who are riding high in 2nd place in 2B Group 1.

Half-time it's 0-0!

Maybe not....65 mins and Marco Ascensio breaks the deadlock.  0-1.

All over...80 mins Lucas makes it 0-2.

Meanwhile, in the Camp Nou, it's gone from 1-0 to Barca at half time to a depressing 4-0 with 15 minutes to go.

Barca's second goal sums up the problem...Alex Vidal to centre back Pique for a simple tap-in. Murcia aren't putting any pressure on at all.

And I'm afraid it's the same score down in Seville where the locals were 3-0 up by half-time.

Back at the Camp Nou...78 mins, a flowing move and a delightful flick by Denis Suarez leaves José Arnaiz with the simple task to bury it for number 5.

And that's it for another year for Murcian teams.   5-0 at the Camp Nou and 4-0 down in Seville.


Here's the BIG story of the night..............................

Lleida Esportiu, who are 11th in Segunda B Group 3, have just won 3-2 at the Anoeta in San Sebastián to knock out Real Sociedad who are SEVENTH in La Liga!   They lost the first leg 1-0 but go through on away goals.   


And more BIG news (I nearly missed this!)..........

SC Formentera (14th in Segunda B Group 3) scored in the SIXTH minute of added time to dump Athletic Club of Bilbao (16th in La Liga) out 2-1 on Aggregate.  The local Murcian interest was the scorer - Álvaro Muñiz, who has played for La Union, Caravaca, Mar Menor and La Hoya Lorca.

Yet again a lower division team go to the Bernabeu and score two goals to hold Real Madrid to a draw. Unfortunately, Segunda 'A' team CD Numancia had lost the first leg 0-3 so Real still progress.

Las vueltas...............

Sevilla FC 3-1 Club Atlético de Madrid
Sevilla through to the semis.

Deportivo Alavés 2-1 Valencia CF
Lucky Valencia - through on penalties.