The Ciudad Deportiva del Real Zaragoza hosted the match on Wednesday afternoon, at 16:00, for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey juvenil between Real Zaragoza and Málaga CF. For the match, Alejandro Rodríguez set up the following line-up: Lucas, Alberto, Seidu, Salva, Alfonso, López, Houssam, Cristóbal, Sarria, Rosa (c), and Darío.
The home team clearly dominated the first half and reflected this in the scoreline. Cantero put the hosts ahead with an accurate free-kick (1-0), and shortly after, Manu Sesé extended the lead following an unfortunate clearance by the Málaga defence (2-0). With this score, the teams went into the break.
In the second half, the Malaguistas stepped up in search of a comeback. Cristóbal tried his luck with a long-range shot that went over the bar shortly after the match resumed. In the 63rd minute, the visitors came close to scoring with a double chance, but Olmos and Berrar managed to prevent the ball from finding the net.
The final stages of the match were filled with intensity. With 15 minutes remaining, Sesé hit the post with a shot, and shortly after, Diego Hernández received a second yellow card, leaving Málaga with a numerical advantage. In the 87th minute, the referee awarded a penalty to the Málaga side, and Darío confidently converted the spot kick (2-1).
The final minutes were a Málaga siege, but Real Zaragoza withstood the attacks and managed to secure their qualification for the Final Four. After their strong performance in the tournament, the Juvenil 'A' will now focus their efforts on the league competition.
Photo: Real Zaragoza