Real Madrid are through to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey — just about. Carlo Ancelotti’s team progressed after winning 3-2 at Leganes, who came very close to causing an upset.
With neither Jude Bellingham nor Kylian Mbappe available, Los Blancos took an early lead through captain Luka Modric, before Endrick made it 2-0 midway through the first half.
But just when you thought Madrid had the game under control, Juan Cruz scored twice, in the 39th and 59th minutes, to change the nature of the game.
Leganes have beaten Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga this season and it was clear they felt another victory against a bigger team was possible.
However, academy prospect Gonzalo Garcia came on as a substitute and his goal turned the game in Madrid’s favour, avoiding an embarrassment in the cup.
“It was a goal scored at the right time. An extra time would have made it difficult for us to recover afterwards,” said Ancelotti after the match, looking ahead to the next games against Atletico Madrid and Manchester City.
Garcia makes himself known
Ancelotti has developed a reputation as a coach who is reluctant to give opportunities to players from the academy. While that view is a widely held public perception, voices within the club also believe he could give more opportunities to young players.
But with the score at 2-2 and with 10 minutes to go, Ancelotti decided it was the right time for Garcia. The 20-year-old striker replaced Endrick and came on with plenty of impetus.
In the 93rd minute, in the first and only chance he had, he made the most of it.
After a well-placed cross from Brahim Diaz, the Madrid youth player headed the ball home to give his side the victory.
The whole team went off to celebrate with him in euphoria, but at one point Garcia slipped away from the group and stood alone shaking his fist angrily in front of the stands, where his family was.
According to sources close to him who spoke to The Athletic afterwards, that image defines his strong personality and strength of character.
Last season, the young striker played two games with the first team but his progression did not go any further.
This season he has already scored 19 goals for Castilla (Madrid’s B team), half of that team’s tally for the season.
He started playing as a left and right-winger but in the end his coach Raul was forced to put him in the centre of the attack because he had such a knack for scoring goals.
“If you ask me for an idol, I’d say Kylian Mbappe… and I’ve always looked up to Cristiano (Ronaldo), a historic player of the club, a great reference,” Garcia said after the match.
Sources in Madrid’s youth academy see him as the leader of Castilla and have been saying for some time that he was not being given as much recognition as he deserved.
In recent months, most Primera Division teams and some in Europe have been interested in loaning him out, but Garcia stayed.
His situation is one of the most interesting to follow in the summer because he is expected to continue to have opportunities abroad and has shown he is ready for the next step after 10 years in Madrid’s academy.
In total there are now seven Madrid youth players that Ancelotti has played this season: central defenders Jacobo Ramon, Raul Asencio (who started on Wednesday) and Diego Aguado, right back Lorenzo Aguado, defensive midfielder Chema Andres, right-winger Daniel Yanez and Garcia himself.
“They are doing a very good job in the youth system,” Ancelotti concluded.
Against Leganes, injuries and Madrid’s low pressure in the Copa del Rey meant Ancelotti took a gamble and it worked out well.
Valverde simply does not rest
Another thing the Leganes game made clear is that Federico Valverde is untouchable.
This season he has been involved in every game.
The 26-year-old is top of the list of Madrid players with the most minutes accumulated this season, with 3,027.
Second on the list is Antonio Rudiger with 2,906 minutes, and as he is out of action because of a muscular injury the difference between the two will grow in the coming games.
Against Leganes, Valverde played at right-back again because Lucas Vazquez was struggling, as Ancelotti revealed.
Although Juan Cruz managed to get past him for the first goal, the Uruguay international continued to be vital to his team and worked tirelessly.
He had a good attacking presence in inside positions, especially in the second half, when he came close to scoring after a cross-shot narrowly missed the target.
In total, he had three shots (two on target) and made three key passes.
In defence, he made five recoveries, three clearances and two successful tackles.
“Valverde also contributes a lot as a full-back, because he is a spectacular player,” said Ancelotti. “When he plays at full-back he looks like he’s been there for a long time, just as he does as a pivot.”
Lunin continues to prove his worth
Andriy Lunin’s saves helped ensure Real Madrid reached the semi-finals (Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images)
It was not a quiet night for Andriy Lunin, who had his work cut out from start to finish.
In the first minute, the 25-year-old keeper faced his first dangerous chance and made a superb save to keep out Diego García’s shot.
In the 83rd minute, Dani Raba tested him again and Lunin deflected it away for a corner.
In between, he showed bravery to come a long way out of his area to head away a dangerous Leganes counter-attack.
However, Lunin could do little about the two goals conceded: on the penalty he dived to the right side, but narrowly missed the ball, and on the second goal, his defender did not help him by deflecting the shot.
The problem for Lunin, of course, is that Thibaut Courtois’ level makes it impossible for him to be the regular first choice at Madrid.
But it is expected that from now on he will not only play in the next cup matches but also in some La Liga games.
This season he has already made seven appearances (a low amount compared to the 31 games he played in 2023-24 during Courtois’ recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury).
After a summer in which Lunin sought an exit, in September he ended up renewing his contract with Madrid until 2030.
The goalkeeper has always declared himself a ‘Madridista’, but after the renewal his camp insisted a potential sale before the end of his contract cannot be ruled out.
The fact he cannot realistically aspire to more in the squad makes this a reasonable scenario.
(Top photo: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
