Real Madrid - Cultural Leonesa Copa del Rey: match report, goals

Real Madrid 6-1 Cultural Leonesa (13-2): Full-time summary

Real Madrid, holding a 3-1 lead (10-2 on agg) and never looking like they would lose this game, were helped by a Mariano hat-trick as the Dominican got Real Madrid off the mark, before scoring an excelent volley for their third and their fifth and penultimate goal in the tie.

Enzo Zidane also got on the scoresheet and Martin Odegaard looked extremely comfortable as he controlled, for the most part, Real Madrid's midfield despite the presence of Isco (in the first half) and James (for the entire game). 

Possibly the biggest news of the game was that Casemiro played the whole thing and other than looking a little rusty in the early exchanges, put in a good performance that invluded some venturing into Cultural's half. It remains to be seen whether he did enough to start on Saturday but he has definitely added to Zidane's options in midfield for the clash with Real Madrid in El Clásico.

Real Madrid 6-1 Cultural Leonesa (13-2): Second half

Game, set and match! Real Madrid never in doubt.

Min 90 | GOAL! And that sums up this game and the entire tie for Cultural as Morgado turns a Nacho cross into his own net. 

Min 88 | GOAL! Mariano need not search for that elusive third anymore as he has found it by way of a downward header from a cross. He had a shot just before that, which drew a good save from Leandro.

Min 87 | Cultural have a free out on the right after a Nacho foul. It could be there last chance of the game and Moreno meets it with his head at the back post with his head and it goes wide. 

Min 86 | Mariano in search of his third, bulldozes Abdullah out of the way in the penalty area and the Cultural Leonesa defender wins a free out for his team.

Min 84 | James plays a surging Asensio through before he lays it back to Odegaard. The little Norweigan wizard strikes it first time but it goes just over.

Cultural Leonesa substitution - Moreno comes on for Orti. 

Min 80 | Cultural have scrcely been in Real Madrid's half in the last 15 minutes as they appear to have run out of steam.

Min 78 | A little lobbed cross by Asensio finds Tejero at the back post who connects perfectly with the ball on the volley but it goes wide. Good effort!

Min 76 | Just before that sub, casemiro kicked a lazy pass out over the sideline! He looks exhausted, but credit to him, he is still going strong.

Real Madrid substitution - Zidane gives the sub goalkeeper a run as Yanez replaces Casilla for the last 15 or so minutes.

Min 75 | Enzo manages to get to the ball before it goes out for a goal-kick but Leandro read his intentions and jumped in front of the cross.

Min 73 | Casemiro, still going strong, is fouled and awarded a free kick.

Cultural Leonesa substitution - Gianni, who just came on, is going off with a thigh injury. He is replaced by Abdullah.

Min 70 | Orti stings Casilla's hands with a shot.

Min 69 | Jorge Orti tries to find his teammates but Varane managed to get it out for a corner.

Min 67 | Mariano lurking against but he collides with Leandro as the outswinging cross goes wide.

Mariano might have scored two, and Carvajal was excellent but Martin Odegaard has been at the heart of everything Real Madrid have done. 

Min 63 | GOAL! Enzo Zidane gets Real Madrid's fourth. Some very neat interplay between Mariano and Odegaard and Zidane to finish the move. Leandro, to be fair, appeared to slip in Cultural's goal.

Min 59 | Mariano finds himself in space but Leandro comes out and gets to the ball first but it hardly slows the Dominican down. He finds himself at a difficult angle and too much work to do and concedes a free after giving the ball away.

Min 55 | Casemiro, galloping beyond Cultural Leonesa's midfield and into 'terra incognito' before he is pushed in the back and wins the free.

Substitution Cultural Leonesa - Benji is replace by Gianni.

Min 54 | Asesnsio tries a cross but it's too close to Leandro in Cultural's goal.

Min 52 | Mariano tries to get on the end of a dangerous cross but the ball just bounced away from him.

Min 51 | Real Madrid's turn to give the ref a call for a penalty. Mariano pulled down under pressure from two Cultural players - same result.

Min 50 | Tejero very lucky to not give away a penalty as he puts his arm across Toni and takes him down. The ref makes quite the show of letting us know he didn't think it was a penalty.

Min 47 | A lovely move by Cultural is scuppered by Toni as he takes the ball off his teammates foot. He saw his name in lights and snapped at a shot insstead of leaving it for the oncoming player.

Min 46 | We are underway for the second half.

Substitution Real Madrid - Varane and Enzo Zidane on for Isco and Carvajal.

First half summary

Whatever hopes Cultural Leonesa had of coming to the Bernabeu and making it difficult for Real Madrid were dashed almost immediately when Asensio pounced on a poor touch by Ivan Gonzalez and fed Mariano for the first of his two goals.

It did not get much better from there but Cultural did hold on until the 23rd minute when an exceptional Dani Carvajal cross found James' head and the Colmbian doubled Real's lead. 

Carvajal was at it again when he found Mariano, who buried his second, which was followed shortly after by an absolute thumping shot by Yeray Gonzalez to get the visiting side on the scoresheet! 

Real Madrid lead 3-1 though, and 10-2 on aggregate.

Real Madrid 3-1 Cultural Leonesa (10-2): First half

Min 46 | GOAL! Yeray Gonzalez rifles one beyond Casilla, who manages to get his hand to it but can not stop the force of the shot.

Goal 42 |  GOAL! We take back everything we said about Mariano's first touch. He just controlled a lovely Carvajal pass with his chest and rifled it beyond Leandro. Exceptional goal from the 23-year-old.

There's a little tactical quirk for you. Odegaard has gone into the middle as James goes out to the left. As a result, less play going down that right-hand side but Odegaard remains in the game. The youngster is a football magnet.

Min 40 | Mariano shows off his skates, and a poor touch as he gets away from Gonzalez but gets too close to Leandro. Goal kick.

Min 38 | Mariano tries one with his left under heavy pressure from Gonzalez and he skews his shot well wide. Shooting off balance is not a good idea!

Min 37 | Real Madrid break quickly and Isco gets a shot off up the other end but it drifts wide. 

Min 37 | Cristobal almost gets in but his pace lets him down as Real Madrid surround him like starvin' men on a Christmas ham!

Min 35 | Real Madrid holding the ball now as Cultural sit off them. Possibly wise as they could be picked off and beaten by a lot more if they were to press up and lose their shape.

That ball from Carvajal for James' goal is what every cross should look like. Perfect arch, perfect speed, close to the goalkeeper but far enough away to make him doubt coming out for it. Lovely!

Min 31 | Casemiro finally booked for a late tackle. He will be taken off at half-time at this rate. #CasemiroWatch

Min 30 | Benja with a header at the front post but he can't direct it goalwards.

Min 29 | Another foul by Casemiro. Still no yellow! #CasemiroWatch

Min 28 | James with a left-footed shot but Leandro gets down well to collect. The Colombian needs to go back to using his head.

Min 28 | Tejero fouls Gallar as Real Madrid were attacking down the left.

Min 26 | Casemiro fouled after a slightly heavy touch that invited pressure. He stays on the ground a readjusts his shinpads.

Min 23 | GOAL! That right-hand side again. This time Carvajal launches a wonderful cross and it lands straight on James' head. Leandro beaten all ends up.

Min 21 | Mariano wins the ball back out around half-way and goes for one from there! Doesn't drop quick enough and it looked like Leandro had it covered in any case.

Min 20 | Carvajal's first touch lets him down out on the right and it goes out for a goalkick. 

Min 18 | Odegaard with a lovely left-footed pass that he seemed to curl at the last minute with his mind, as it beats the Cultural defender. The cross from Tejero was...eh...not so good!

Min 17 | Carvajal with a lovely run that results in him playing Mariano in for number two, but it was ruled offside. The replay suggests it was very, very close.

Min 15 | Casemiro with a very late tackle and is lucky to get away with no yellow card. He appears to be breathing heavily already...

Min 13 | Casemiro warming up for El Clásico with a hard challenge. Referee awards a free. Wonder how his leg is feeling?

Min 11 | Tejero trying to bomb forward and get on the end of a pass. It's a little too long and has company as he slides and the ball goes out for a goal kick.

Min 9 | Carvajal and Odegaard combine again. Cultural's left back and winger are in for a very long night.

Min 8 | James wins it back this time. Gets the ball out to Odegaard, who in turn gives it to Carvajal but his cross is blocked at its first obstacle and Cultural clear.

Min 7 | James coughs up the ball again. Odegaard has looked lively though! He looks very comfortable on the ball.

Min 5 | Asensio on the attack again but has his arm pulled back and gets a free.

Min 3 | James gives the ball away and Cultural break but it comes to nothing.

Min 1 | GOAL! I don't even have to change the timestamp! In the first minute, it was Mariano who slotted home after being fed by Asensio. A really poor touch by Gonzalez from a short kick-out that allowed Asensio sneak in and win it back.

Min 1 | We are underway as Cultural Leonesa try to chip away at Real Madrid's lead from the first game.

We will have a minute's silence ahead of the game for the 71 people who lost their lives in the Chapecoense plane crash.

Team are out on the Santiago Bernebeu turf and we are about to get underway. Zidane looking dapper, as per usual!

Real Madrid - Cultural Leonesa: Team News

Real Madrid:

Casilla, Carvajal, Pepe, Nacho, James, Casemiro, Mariano, Asensio, Isco, Odegaard, Tejero.

Cultural Leonesa: 

Real Madrid - Cultural Leonesa: latest news

18:53 | After all the trouble of getting Real Madrid to forego Jose Leon's "clause of fear", he doesn't even start! He is on the bench.

18:49 | Real Madrid finish their warm-up and head back for the dressing room. Some last minute Zidane tactics and it's away we go!

18:46 | Can Nacho repeat his wonder-goal effort from the last day? Also, remember Bale trying to recreate it?

18:41 | You thought Real Madrid's purple away kit was loud? Cultural have a pink strip that is screaming at you in the face! 

18:40 | The last time these two teams played each other at the Bernabeu was the 8th of May, 1960. The result? Cultural were hockeyed 5-0! 

18:39 | Casemiro warming up and looking as though he was never out injured! We will see whether or not that is the case in just 20 minutes. 

18:36 | Tejero starts at left-back. He has played in 15 games for Castilla in that position this year with one assist.

18:33 | Mariano up front for Real Madrid tonight. He played in the first leg and got himself on the scoresheet.

18:24 | Odegaard with his first start. All eyes will be on the Norweigen youngster.

18:04 | Castilla LB Alvaro Tejero also starts. 

17:58 | So, that's Real Madrid's team news in. Casemiro fit enough to start! As does Odegaard in his first official start for Real Madrid.

17:51 | From yesterday's El Clásico round-up, Casemiro is ready to go but will Zidane risk him? We will have team news as soon as it lands.

17:43 | We could see three youngsters tonight with Enzo Zidane, Odegaard and Tejero lined up to either start or play a role off the bench.

17:11 | Nacho and Pepe are poised to start alongside each other tonight. Could this be a chance for the two to improve their bon together at the position with one eye on El Clásico?

16:09 | Three Cultural Leonesa players with a Real Madrid past will return to the Bernabéu this evening - Iván González and Antonio Martínez spent over a decade in Madrid's youth academy La Fábrica, while José León, who is on loan from Castilla, could be given a run-out tonight. As De la Barrera explained yesterday: "It's a special match for all of the players and especially for José. We are grateful to Madrid for waiving the clause and giving him an opportunity to play".

16:50 | As we build up to the Copa del Rey game, check out out our El Clásico round-up with all of today's news ahead of Saturday.

15:15 | Latest update on Gareth Bale after his surgery in London.

14:30 | Despite the adverse scorline form the first leg, 1000 Cultural fans have made the journey to the Spanish capital to support their team. 

14:00 | Real Madrid coach Zidane paid his tribute to the victims of the Colombian air tragedy that affected Brazilian Serie A outfit Chapecoense.

13:30 | Here's a brief look at the 'sick-bay' affecting Real Madrid. 

11:30 | Cultural came to international promenece recetly with their infamous "tuxedo shirts".

11:50 | Zidane to rest key players for tonight's Copa clash 

10:20 | Real Madrid finally relented on the "fear clause" and Jose Leon can now play in tonight's game

10:15 | A small quality of tickets are still available for tonight's game,

Real Madrid - Cultural Leonesa

Zinedine Zidane's side return to the Cup and unless anything extremely untoward happens tonight, they are practically assured a place in the Last 16 after winning the first leg 1-7 at the Reino de León – that leg was brought forward to 26 October for Madrid’s involvement in next month’s Club World Cup in Japan. For Rubén De la Barrera’s Cultural, it will be a one-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy playing on the big stage at the Santiago Bernabéu and savour the occasion although they won’t want to bow out without a fight. In the domestic league things are definitely looking a lot brighter for Cultu who are cruising with a six point lead at the top their group in the Second Division B and will be buoyed by the weekend 2-0 home win against Burgos – Gianni and Álex Gallar grabbing the goals.

Real Madrid

With the tie all but decided and El Clásico on Saturday, Zinedine Zidane is expected to field a vastly changed side against Cultural. There were a few new names in his 16-man squad list for the match – including his son Enzo. It will be an opportunity for Casemiro to make his return after injury, and for Pepe, Asensio and Varane, all with recent physical problems, to build up match fitness. Also listed are Mariano, Ødegaard and Álvaro Tejero.

Cultural Leonesa

Rubén De la Barrera did receive some positive news on the eve of the game – Real Madrid decided to forfeit the ‘fear clause’ in José León’s contract which will free the ex-Castilla centre-back, who is on loan, to play against his former employers at the Whites Coliseum – a dream for the 21-year-old. One change could be in goal with Jorge Palatsí, who shipped seven goals in the first leg, making way for Guillermo Vallejo. Since their 1-7 drubbing to Madrid in the first leg, Cultu have embarked on an impressive winning streak: they were held away at Racing de Santander but have won all of their games since, with victories over Celta B, Pontevedra, Racing Ferrol and Burgos – all of which has them sitting pretty six points clear at the top of Group 1 in the Second Division B.

Real Madrid - Cultural Leonesa: live match build-up