(Football news) Real Madrid have always had trouble in the Copa Del Rey and that trouble continued. Los Blancos just about defeated 4th division team Cacereno 1-0. The performance was far from satisfactory and Carlo Ancelotti’s men were lucky to walk away with 3 points. Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr didn’t travel with the team. Eden Hazard was given a rare start but couldn’t have any sort of impact on the game. Alvaro Odriozola also started but out of position at left back. Eduardo Camavinga also started the game alongside fellow Frenchman Aurélien Tchouaméni. 

Real Madrid had 56% possession with 4 shots on target. They didn’t look comfortable throughout the 90 minutes as Cacereno put a lot of pressure on them. The condition of the pitch wasn’t the best but that is something that happens in the Copa Del Rey. The match as a whole was pretty scrappy as Cacereno committed 21 fouls while Real Madrid committed 18 fouls. Rodrygo’s solo goal in the 69th minute was the only clear cut chance the Merengues had and thankfully it went in. The Brazilian paid tribute to Pele with his celebration after the passing of the football legend. B team players Alvaro Rodrigues and Sergio Arribas got their first minutes of the season.

The performance may have been underwhelming but the result was a good one. It’s a job well done for Real Madrid who will now wait for their Round of 16 opponents to be announced. The big positive is that despite a hard fought game there were zero injuries. Los Blancos’ next game is away at Villarreal after which they will travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup. Real Madrid have a chance to win the Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup in the next two months but they need to up their level.

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