REIGNING champion Real Madrid moved a step closer to the last 16 of the King’s Cup on Wednesday, thanks to a comfortable 4-1 first leg away win against Barcelona-based club Cornella.
With Cristiano Ronaldo among a host of star names given the night off, it was center-back Raphael Varane who produced the finishing touch in the first half as his bullet header put the visitors in front after just 10 minutes.
The last-32, first leg pitted the world’s richest club by income, with annual revenues of more than 600 million euros (US$758 million), against a club with a budget of around 1 million euros a season, which was promoted to Spain’s regional Segunda B for the first time at the end of last term.
Cornella was not overawed and striker Oscar Munoz leveled in the 20th with a fierce strike. France center back Varane made it 2-1 from Isco’s corner in the 36th minute and Javier Hernandez struck eight minutes into the second half before substitute Marcelo rifled home the rebound from an Isco effort 15 minutes from time.(SD-Agencies)
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