SPAIN: COPA DEL REY Round of 16 - REAL MADRID 2:2 ATLETICO MADRID
Atletico win 4-2 on aggregate.
Fernando Torres scored his first goals for Atletico Madrid since 2007 tonight, bagging a brace at the Bernabeu to knock capital rivals Real out of the Copa del Rey.
The Colchoneros led 2-0 from the first leg and Torres wasted little time in twisting the knife, scoring to make it 3-0 on aggregate after only 51 seconds.
Carlo Ancelotti had picked a strong eleven in the hope of overturning the first leg reverse, but the rub of the green tonight was with the visitors and their returning hero, who had been bought as back-up for Croatian striker Mario Mandžukić, who was missing tonight with flu.
Sergio Ramos headed Real level on 20 minutes before Torres restored Atletico's lead less than a minute into the second half to keep the aggregate gap at three goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo headed in Real's second on 54 minutes but the tie finished 2-2, Atletico advancing to the quarter-finals, where they will face Barcelona no less.
This elimination is Real's first setback since failing to win La Liga last season. In 2014 they won the UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, European Super Cup and FIFA World Club Cup, a near clean sweep.
They have an intimate connection with the so-called King's Cup (Copa del Rey) as they are the Royal (Real) club of Madrid, a prefix awarded to them by King Alfonso XIII in 1920, and they have won the trophy 19 times.
Spain's oldest competition began as the Copa de la Coronacion in 1903, before becoming the Copa del Rey, Copa del Presidente and Copa del Generalisimo, reflecting the changes in Spain's 20th century politics, before reverting to Copa del Rey in 1977.
Copa del Rey QFs:
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao, Espanyol v Sevilla, Barcelona v Atletico Madrid, Villareal v Getafe.
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile