MADRID: After surrendering a record 40-game unbeaten run, Real Madrid suffered a second defeat in four days on Thursday as Celta Vigo took a 2-1 first leg lead from their Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
\nAll three goals came in a six-minute spell midway through the second-half as strikes from former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas and Jonny either side of Marcelo\u00a0s reply for Madrid handed Celta a famous win.
\nReal can still salvage their quest for a first ever treble of Cup, La Liga and Champions League, but now need to score at least twice when the visit Balaidos for the second leg on Jan 25.
\nCristiano Ronaldo was making his first appearance in the Copa del Rey for two years as Real coach Zinedine Zidane named a strong side with just four changes from the team that was beaten for the first time in 41 matches at Sevilla on Sunday.
\nHowever, with temperatures plummeting below zero and the match not kicking off until 21:15 local time, the subdued atmosphere at the Bernabeu was matched by a lacklustre Madrid display.
\nRonaldo had to wait until 33 minutes for his first clear sight of goal, but failed to make a clean connection with Sergio Ramos\u00a0s cut-back and Jonny was able to clear from underneath his own crossbar.
\nThe four-time World Player of the Year then had an unconvincing penalty appeal waived away before Casemiro\u00a0s shot from outside the box flew just wide with Madrid\u00a0s best effort of the first-half.
\nAn unfortunate hand injury to Marco Asensio as he was accidentally trod on by Facundo Roncaglia ensured Ronaldo moved the centre of the Madrid attack back onto his habitual position on the left as Alvaro Morata was introduced early in the second-half.
\nMorata has scored four times as a substitute this season and nearly had an instant impact when he blazed over when well-positioned inside the area.
\nInstead, it was Celta who got the opener as the game sprung into life in the final 25 minutes.
\nMarcelo\u00a0s miscued clearance from Theo Bongonda\u00a0s cross only found the grateful Aspas alone inside the area and he rifled the ball high past Kiko Casilla for his 15th goal of the season.
\nMadrid rallied as they so often have this season when Marcelo made amends with a brilliant volley from the edge of the box.
\nHowever, no sooner had Celta kicked-off when they were back in front as a huge hole appeared in the middle of the Madrid defence and Aspas teed up Jonny to bear down on goal and slot coolly past Casilla.
\nZidane threw on Karim Benzema for the hapless Danilo as the hosts chased the game in the final 10 minutes.
\nAnd the Frenchman\u00a0s daring approach should have been rewarded with a second equaliser, but Benzema somehow blazed over with the goal at his mercy seven minutes from time meaning Madrid have it all to do at Balaidos next week.
\nIn the night\u00a0s other tie, two late goals from Ibai Gomez handed Alaves a 2-0 win at second division Alcorcon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MADRID: After surrendering a record 40-game unbeaten run, Real Madrid suffered a second defeat in four days on Thursday as Celta Vigo took a 2-1 first leg lead from their Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu. All three goals came in a six-minute spell midway through the second-half as strikes from former Liverpool […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10374","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n