MADRID (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo Riquelme’s extra-time strikes earned Atletico Madrid a 4-2 win over rivals Real Madrid and passage to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals Friday.
Earlier Barcelona secured an unconvincing 3-1 win at third-tier Unionistas de Salamanca to scrape through their last 16 tie.
Atletico edged an entertaining battle at the Rojiblancos’ Metropolitano stadium, the second of three Madrid derbies in under a month, to inflict Los Blancos’ second defeat of the season in all competitions.
Madrid twice pegged back Atletico to take the game to extra-time, with Jan Oblak’s own goal cancelling out Samuel Lino’s opener, and Joselu netting late on after Morata had put the hosts in front again.
In extra-time Griezmann broke down the right and finished with aplomb and Riquelme struck at the death to settle the game and avenge Atletico’s 5-3 defeat by Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final last week. Defeat snapped Madrid’s 21-match unbeaten run.
“I don’t think (Atletico have the measure of us), because we beat them a few days ago,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters.
“We played a complete game, even, hard-fought, against a strong rival.”
Victory meant a lot to Atletico, off the pace in La Liga and hurt by the prior Madrid defeat, and they celebrated wildly with their supporters. “The games lately have been really nice for fans, at high speed, decided in extra-time and today it was our turn to win it,” Atletico skipper Koke told TVE.
Meanwhile, in another match Alvaro Gomez brilliantly volleyed Unionistas in front, Spanish champions Barcelona clawed their way back to triumph with goals from Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde.
After their thrashing by Madrid in the Super Cup final, the bare minimum they needed was to progress as doubts swirl around the club and coach Xavi Hernandez.
“We played well in parts, but in others we have to play better, sometimes I despair because we don’t know what we need to,” Xavi told reporters.
“When I say we’re in construction, it’s that, that we have to do what we need every single time.”
The hosts, at their packed 6,000 capacity Reina Sofia stadium, were fired up and dreaming of an upset after already knocking out Villarreal.
