Leganés reached the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey for the second time in their history in an incredibly entertaining clash against Almería. The Segunda División leaders responded after Alti’s early goal, managing to equalize in the first half and then turn things around in the second half. Borja Jiménez’s key substitutions revitalized the ‘pepinera’ team, who secured a 3-2 victory.
Leganés reached the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, a feat they had only accomplished once before in their history. Borja Jiménez had retained some of his key players, particularly in attack, and provided his team with exactly what they needed in the second half with decisive changes. Dani Raba played a crucial role in the comeback after the ‘pepineros’ fell behind following Alti’s goal.
Almería could have struck early, but Arnau Puigmal’s goal in the 2nd minute was ruled out for offside. However, it was the Madrid team who opened the scoring. Just after the half-hour mark, Alti scored the first goal with a precise left-footed strike that hit but didn’t deflect enough off Fernando.
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Almería had been the best team, with a constantly dangerous Luis Suárez, a very active Arnau on the right, and a very participatory Lázaro. In fact, it only took them 5 minutes to equalize. In the 38th minute, the Segunda Division’s top scorer unleashed a powerful strike from distance that found the right corner of Juan Soriano’s goal, bringing the score to 1-1.
The home side deserved more in a first half which remained level until the restart. The lock was broken in the 52nd minute thanks to a brilliant action from Lázaro. Marc Pubill drove to the goal line, delivered the ball into the box, and the ‘7’, fresh from Palmeiras, beat Juan Soriano with a daring backheel.
The goal was a huge boost for Almería and a huge blow for Leganés. Yet, in the end, Leganés qualified for the next round. That’s football. In the 65th minute, Centelles almost scored a third goal for Almería by anticipating Juan Soriano and almost recovering a loose ball, which was cleared for a corner by the visiting defense. Moments later, the Andalusians had three consecutive attempts which ended with a save from Fernando, a defensive block, and a missed left-footed attempt from Arnau which slightly missed the ‘pepinera’ goal on the left side.
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In the meantime, Leganés had already brought in Juan Cruz, Dani Raba, and Miguel de la Fuente. These changes proved essential, as they turned the tide when the visitors were struggling. The comeback began in the 76th minute when De la Fuente converted a penalty awarded for a foul by Marc Pubill on Raba. The ’18’ had a good game, but hesitated and kicked with his foot, rather than touching the ball.
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De la Fuente’s low, central strike led to the next crucial moment in the 87th minute. Juan Cruz delivered a perfect cross from the left that Diego García scored with the first attempt, anticipating both the score and the goalkeeper, sending the ball into the back of the net. There was controversy over the action with a penalty claim from Suárez in the build-up, but after a brief review, referee De Burgos Bengoetxea allowed play to resume.
In the 6 minutes of added time, Almería, who had recently crushed Sevilla in the previous round, failed to force extra time, a result they perhaps deserved given their previous merits, thus ending their cupped hopes. This allowed Leganés to progress to the quarter-finals for the second time in their history, although they must not lose sight of their main objective: survival in La Liga.
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