Real Madrid 3-1 Atletico Madrid: Benzema and Vinicius strike in extra-time after Savic sent off

Real Madrid came from a goal back to beat 10-man Atlético Madrid 3-1 after extra time and qualify for the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

It was epic for Carlo Ancelotti’s team but you had to feel it for Diego Simone. He had seen this movie before, in two Champions League finals: taking the lead, missing chances to bury the opposition and succumbing to late goals.

Karim Benzema scored the winner in the 104th minute. Substitute Marco Asensio crossed from the right, Brazilians Vinicius, who scored the third, and Rodrygo, who had scored an extraordinary equalizer, all missed, but Benzema swept it past far post.

The winning goal came shortly after Stefan Savic was sent off for two quick yellows. Atlético will argue that Dani Ceballos should have suffered the same fate earlier in the game. Fortune might have favored Real Madrid, but with wave after wave of attack they had made their own luck.

Atlético took the lead in the 19th minute when Koke received from Antoine Griezmann and played a clever first-half fly ball to Nahuel Molina on the right. He crossed Álvaro Morata low in the first half and the former Real Madrid striker could not miss from close range.

Simeone had flooded the midfield with Molina joining Griezmann, Koke, Rodrigo de Paul, Ángel Correa and Thomas Lemar. He went from three behind with Savic marking Vinicius. When he fouled him on the half hour mark, Toni Kroos finished off across the ball and looked as if he was going to head Morata, but Eder Militao inadvertently cleared it under the crossbar.

There was another setback for Madrid when Ferland Mendy left with a hamstring injury and Ceballos came into midfield and Eduardo Camavinga had to go to left-back. Madrid needed half time to reorganize: after Vinicius’ previous forays, they had been isolated and Atlético were on top.

Morata was injured five minutes into the second half after a clash with Militao and Memphis Depay began to warm up. Madrid now played with more spark and Valverde’s heel was about to be knocked down by Vinicius and Benzema. Valverde then shot over the dismissal of Luca Modric. Camavinga was impressive as an emergency left-back and opposite him Vinicius was propelling the home team forward.

Madrid were getting closer and when the Brazilian took possession in the center of the field and ran forward, it was seen the equalizer. He crossed Benzema and when he stopped the shot it came out to Vinicius who needed a touch to control it, a touch too much because Savic cleared.

Morata was finally removed in the 62nd minute but it was Axel Witsel who came on and not Memphis. Ancelotti sent Rodrygo for Valverde with 20 minutes remaining.

In a rare break for Atlético that originated when Benzema gave the ball away, Atlético won a free-kick on the edge of the box and Courtois brilliantly saved Griezmann. From the corner, Witsel’s acrobatic scissors went wide.

Now it was time for Memphis when Lemar left. Marco Asensio came on for Madrid and Yannick Carrasco replaced Correa.

The Memphis presentation coincided with the arrival of the tie and what a beauty it was. Rodrygo marked it dancing, first Witsel, then Hermoso, and finally Savic and Molina, before putting the ball to Jan Oblak.

Madrid went for the winning goal in regulation time and in minute 93 Militao found energy to run from one area to another exchanging passes with Benzema in a final time trial that came to nothing.

Griezmann was withdrawn before extra time, that can only have been welcomed by Real Madrid. They were all exhausted, all except Militao and Vinicius who were still full of threat on the left. He and Savic got off the ball and both were booked – 90 seconds later he stung the galloping Camavinga, also fresh in the first minute, and the second yellow was shown.

With ten men, Atlético now held on and the resistance did not last long with Benzema making it 2-1.

At the break in extra time, substitute Koke and substitute José Giménez harassed the referee and Koke was booked. Simeone had his exhausted players huddled around him and urged them to make one last push.

Atlético did not lie down, but Memphis’ loose shot was the closest they got to an equalizer. As the clock ticked down, Rodrygo limped off, his second-half masterpiece goal forcing extra time. Vinicius ran through Atlético’s ragged rearguard and in the last attack he scored the third.

Madrid celebrated with the final whistle. They join Barcelona, ​​Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals. Atlético only have one place in the top four of La Liga to play for. Play it like that and they’ll do that, but it’ll hurt to watch the final rounds of all the big knockouts on TV.