Real Madrid qualifies to quarterfinals of Spanish Cup

• Real Madrid rallies from two goals down to beat Villarreal 3-2 in Copa del Rey.
• Robert Lewandowski scores twice as Ceuta is beaten 5-0 by Barcelona.
• Quique Setien’s team had won six of their previous seven games.

Real Madrid rallied from two goals down to defeat Villarreal 3-2 on Thursday and advance to the Spanish Cup quarterfinals.

In another match, Robert Lewandowski scored twice as third-tier Ceuta was easily defeated 5-0 by Barcelona.

After having a difficult 2023, Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid team will hope the victory is a turning point. In the Spanish Super Cup final last Sunday, they were severely defeated by rivals Barcelona.

After the hosts’ Etienne Capoue and Samuel Chukwueze scored in the first half, Los Blancos appeared to be out of the cup on Thursday.

However, goals from Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, and Dani Ceballos in the second half changed the course of the last-16 match and moved Madrid, which last won the title in 2014, to the semifinals.

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⚡ @vinijr kickstarted the comeback!
🆚 @VillarrealCFen #CopaDelRey pic.twitter.com/zabWdO8Ztt

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 20, 2023

It was yet another spectacular comeback from a squad known for producing them.

“After a really poor first half, we pushed, made risks, and had courage,” Ancelotti told Teledeporte.

“I told them they had to wake up, we had lost a lot of battles, we weren’t risking anything in the press, they were looking for counters but it was a risk we had to take.

“The team was poorly positioned, overly open, and lacked strength in duels.”

Villarreal got off to a great start, with Capoue scoring a sensational goal after Gerard Moreno flicked the ball into his path. Villarreal, who shined while defeating Madrid in La Liga earlier in January.

Quique Setien’s team had won six of their previous seven games and drawn the seventh, and they played well in the first half.

Madrid, on the other hand, appeared disheartened by their recent results and the early goal allowed.

Just before halftime, the hosts extended their lead at the Estadio de la Ceramica, with Chukwueze completing a beautiful team move.

Ancelotti replied by putting on Ceballos and Marco Asensio, and the adjustments paid immediate benefits, with both players — who had previously been on the outskirts this season — impressing.

Ceballos arranged for Vinicius to draw the first back for Madrid, which put wind in their sails.

Asensio blasted a low free-kick under the wall, but Filip Jorgensen saved it as Los Blancos pushed for an equaliser.

The Danish goalkeeper then parried Karim Benzema’s header, but Militao pounced on the rebound to equalize.

As extra time approached, Asensio set up Ceballos, who finished off the rescue with a low effort from the edge of the box.

“The team knew how to stay in the game, and fortunately we were able to turn it around,” match winner Ceballos told Teledeporte.

“We want to dominate matches, and we haven’t been able to do so recently because we’ve had a lot of games in a row, many players returning from the World Cup, and now we will improve.”

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