Cultural 1-7 Madrid: Asensio & Morata score two each in Copa del Rey mauling
Zinedine Zidane's side eased to a seven goal win in the first leg of this round-of-32 tie on Wednesday night
There were no jokes about Real Madrid in Leon against Cultural Leonesa. After last season’s comical Copa del Rey elimination for fielding an ineligible player against Cadiz, Los Blancos made sure there were no mistakes here.
Zinedine Zidane didn’t call up the BBC, leaving them in Madrid with Marcelo and Keylor Navas, but he did name a strong side to take on the third division side. It took just five minutes for the first goal to arrive, Zuiverloon putting through his own net.
Marco Asensio had scored on his first appearance for Madrid in the European Super Cup, La Liga and the Champions League before Wednesday night and he didn’t let his record slip in the Copa del Rey here. He scored just after the half hour mark and added his second in the second half, making it 4-0 after Alvaro Morata had also scored.
Morata then scored his second, too, to make it 5-0, before a stunner from defender Nacho Fernandez made it six. Benja pulled one back for the home side, although he didn’t celebrate, before Mariano added the seventh in second half stoppage time.
And there’s still the second leg to come of this round-of-32 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.
CULTURAL LEON
Palatsí; Ángel Zuiverloon, Iván González, Forniiés; Mario Ortiz, Yeray; Julen (Benja, 54'), Antonio Martínez (Ortí, 18'), Gallar, Toni (Touré, 62').
REAL MADRID
Kiko Casilla; Cavajal (Kovacic, 69'), Pepe, Nacho, Danilo (Coentrao, 58'); Kroos, Isco (Mariano, 63'), James; Lucas Vázquez, Morata, Marco Asensio.
GOALS
0-1 M.5 Zuiverloon (own goal), 0-2 M.32 Marco Asensio, 0-3 M.46 Morata, 0-4 M.53 Asensio, 0-5 M.55 Morata, 0-6 M.68 Nacho, 1-6 M.83 Benja, 1-7 M.92 Mariano.
