Barca avoids Real in Copa draw
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HOLDER Barcelona was drawn yesterday to play Real Sociedad in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey while Celta Vigo will take on Real Madrid.
La Liga leader Real booked its spot in the last eight on Thursday when it set a Spanish record of 40 matches unbeaten in all competitions by coming back from two goals behind to snatch a 3-3 draw at Sevilla.
Atletico Madrid will take on Eibar, which is in the quarterfinals for the first time, while second-tier Alcorcon, the only team from outside the top flight left in the draw, faces Alaves.
The ties will be played over two legs with the opening matches on January 18 and the return encounters a week later.
Real’s advance to the Copa last 8, with the 3-3 draw giving it an aggregate 6-3 victory over Sevilla, may have extended its unbeaten streak but coach Zinedine Zidane said it is not enough.
“The treble (La Liga, Champions League and Copa) is the goal that everyone wants,” Zidane said after the match. “But this is far off and that is only achieved day after day.”
This season, Real has won the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. It is atop La Liga and in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
The draw against Sevilla — which Real will also face again tomorrow at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in La Liga — felt more like a victory.
A late Sergio Ramos penalty and, in the last play of the game, a Karim Benzema strike allowed Real to avoid its first defeat since a 0-2 loss to VfL Wolfsburg on April 6 last year.
It has lost just twice since Zidane took over in January 2016.
Real captain Sergio Ramos said Thursday’s Sevilla match showed a never-say-die quality that bodes well. “Being at Real Madrid, you’re forced to fight until the end and despite the fact we looked to be going through, the team reacted well and earned the draw,” he said.
It has taken 30 wins and 10 draws for Zidane’s side to break the Spanish record Barcelona set in the 2015-16 campaign.
Ahead of tomorrow’s clash Real is four points clear of Sevilla at the top with a game in hand.
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