Real Betis narrowly avoided a stunning upset in the Copa del Rey, pulling off a last-minute turnaround against Villanovense to secure their spot in the third round with a 2-1 victory. Eze Bade and Borja Iglesias played the heroes with late goals, sparing Real Betis from an embarrassing defeat to their fourth-tier opponents. The Seville-based team struggled in the first half, falling behind to Ismael Cano’s goal in the 63rd minute. However, Bade and Iglesias found the net in the 89th minute and injury time, respectively, ensuring their progression in the tournament.
In a surprising turn of events, Almeria, La Liga’s bottom team, faced an early exit as fourth-tier UD Barbastro pulled off the first giant-killing act of the competition. Franc Carbonell’s 27th-minute goal secured a 1-0 win for Barbastro, capitalizing on Almeria’s decision to field 11 fringe players in a lackluster display.
Real Sociedad faced a tough challenge against Andratx but managed to secure a 1-0 victory, with Andre Silva scoring the decisive goal in the 56th minute. Similarly, Alaves clinched their spot in the third round with a narrow 1-0 win over Terrassa, courtesy of Xeber Alkain’s first-half effort.
In other notable results, Radamel Falcao’s late goal helped Yeclano break the deadlock, while Raul de Tomas secured a 2-0 win for Rayo Vallecano deep into injury time. Real Mallorca dominated Valle de Egues with a 3-0 victory, featuring two goals from Javi Llebres and one from Dani Rodriguez.
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Sevilla advanced with a 2-0 victory over Atletico Astorga, with Sergio Ramos converting a penalty in the first half, and Federico Gattoni scoring in the 68th minute. Additionally, lower-league sides Tenerife, Huesca, Amorebieta, Malaga, Lugo, and Cartagena all qualified for the third round.
-IANS
