Keeper howler helps Real into Cup quarters

MADRID - Reuters

Real Madrid’s French forward Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring his team’s winning goal against Malaga in the Spanish King’s Cup at the Rosaleda stadium. AFP photo

Holder Real Madrid was helped into the King’s Cup quarterfinals by a goalkeeping howler from Malaga’s Willy Caballero on Jan. 10 which gifted the team a 1-0 away win.

In the 71st minute, the match was goalless and tense with big-spending Malaga, who lost 3-2 at the Bernabeu, needing to score only one to go through on the away goals rule when Real substitute Karim Benzema fired tamely straight at Caballero.

The Argentine keeper had made some impressive saves, but when he fell to his knees to collect, the ball squirmed between his legs and rolled over the line.

Jose Mourinho’s men are likely to meet archrivals Barcelona in the last eight, with the European and Spanish champions visiting Osasuna tonight holding a 4-0 first-leg advantage.

Real will be joined in the quarterfinals by surprise qualifiers Real Mallorca and third tier Mirandes.
Mallorca scored four times in seven minutes during an astonishing comeback to knock out Real Sociedad 6-3 on aggregate earlier in the evening.

The Basques led 2-0 from the first leg in San Sebastian last week and took the lead in Mallorca after 16 minutes, while disgruntled home fans whistled their own side.

Mallorca’s four-goal blitz started out of nowhere when Uruguayan Gonzalo Castro scored from a free-kick in the 34th.

Israel’s Tomer Hemed cracked in a second two minutes later, Nunes headed in from a corner and seven breath-taking minutes after scoring his first, Castro racked up the fourth.

He caught out visiting keeper Enaut Zubikarai as he rolled the ball in front of him, nipping up from behind to steal it and roll the ball into the empty net.

The flood of goals continued after halftime with Alfaro and Hemed bagging his second before the hour mark.

Mallorca will meet either Athletic Bilbao or Albacete.