Atletico Madrid have reached the last 16 of the Copa del Rey despite being put to the sword by third division outfit L'Hospitalet in tonight's 2-2 draw at the Vicente Calderon.
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The hosts, already leading 3-0 from the first leg, made a bright start to the game, Cristian Rodriguez winning a free kick out on the left after just two minutes but seeing Koke's delivery fly way off the mark.
Moments later, a long diagonal pass was brought down by Mario Mandzukic's chest, his subsequent shot soaring over the Hospitalet bar.
The visitors eased themselves into the game after the first 10 minutes, as Ruben Carreras broke away down the left and whipped a decent cross towards the back post, but Canario failed to control the ball as Diego Simeone's charges cleared the danger.
Despite Hospitalet's intent, Atletico managed to break the deadlock in the 19th minute when Mandzukic seized on a rebounded effort to sidefoot the ball past Carlos Craviotto and into the back of the net.
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The hosts continued to press forward following their goal, but struggled to fashion any more significant chances in the first half.
After the break, the game continued to be played much in the same fashion as before, with Atletico dominating possession but showing little urgency and Hospitalet struggling to get out of their half.
This changed in the 67th minute when Ruben Alcaraz dispossessed Saul in the centre of the pitch before firing a shot towards goal that deflected off a defender and into the far corner of the hosts' net.
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Atletico went back in front just seven minutes later when Mandzukic beat Rodriguez to a Koke cross and smashed a header into the opposition's net, but the visitors struck an equaliser in the final ten minutes when Alcaraz let rip with a shot from 30 yards that thundered off the crossbar and into the goal.
The result gives Atletico a 5-2 win on aggregate and ensures a meeting with arch-rivals Real Madrid in the next round of the Copa del Rey.
Giuseppe Labellarte
