Atletico Madrid's Dramatic Copa Comeback

Atletico Madrid came from behind to defeat Cacereno 3-1, securing their place in the Copa del Rey last 32. Despite challenging conditions, goals from Lenglet, De Paul, and Alvarez propelled Atletico to victory. LaLiga teams faced mixed fortunes, with several eliminated by lower division opponents.

In a thrilling Copa del Rey encounter, Atletico Madrid rallied late to overcome fourth division side Cacereno 3-1, thus securing their spot in the tournament's last 32. Atletico, under coach Diego Simeone, faced a surprising first-half setback when Alvaro Merencio capitalized on a counter-attack to give Cacereno the lead.

Cacereno's goalkeeper, Diego Nieves, put up a resilient performance, thwarting numerous attempts from the Spanish giants. However, Rodrigo De Paul's precise cross allowed Clement Lenglet to head the equalizer in the 83rd minute. Cacereno's chances dwindled after Jaime Sancho received a second yellow card, reducing them to 10 men.

The match turned in Atletico's favor as Simeone, despite being dismissed with a red card, saw his team score twice in stoppage time through De Paul and Julian Alvarez. Their victory marked a contrasting performance by LaLiga teams, with several sides like Espanyol and Villarreal suffering early exits at the hands of lower-ranked opponents.

(With inputs from agencies.)