SPANISH CUP REVIEW
Spanish Cup: Real Madrid battered by Alcorcon
Real Madrid suffered an astonishing 4-0 defeat at third-tier side Alcorcon in the King's Cup on Tuesday, humiliated in the first leg by a club with a budget more than 400 times smaller than the La Liga giants.
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The Madrid players were stunned by a first-half blitz from the minnows.
• Pellegrini embarrassed, Valdano sorry
Real were missing their two most expensive signings, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, as well as several other key players, but were undone by a club with a €1.1 million ($1.6 million) annual budget compared to Real's €420 million.
It was the third defeat in five matches for Manuel Pellegrini's side and piled more pressure on the Chilean coach after Saturday's 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon and last week's 3-2 home defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League.
A fired-up Alcorcon, who play in the same league as Real's youth team Castilla, laid siege to the visitors' goal in the frantic early stages, forcing Jerzy Dudek into a couple of smart saves with shots from distance.
Former Real youth player Borja Gomez gave Alcorcon a shock lead in the 16th minute when he cut in from the right and curled a precise shot into the bottom left corner.
Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa inexplicably clipped the ball into his own net six minutes later before Fernando Bejar headed against Dudek's leftpost.
Ernesto Gomez made it three five minutes before the break, sidefooting home Diego Cascon's cross from the right, and Borja pounced on a loose ball to make it four in the 52nd minute.
Pellegrini replaced Raul with Ruud van Nistelrooy with just under 20 minutes left as Real searched desperately for a goal. Alcorcon keeper Juanma palmed the Dutchman's shot on to a post with four minutes remaining but Real were unable to find a goal ahead of the the second leg at the Bernabeu in two weeks.
Madrid's neighbours Atletico, under new coach Quique Sanchez Flores for the first time, fared much better with a 2-0 win at Marbella thanks to Troyana's own goal and a late strike from Maxi Rodriguez.
Luis Fabiano and Jesus Navas each bagged a brace as Sevilla won 4-2 at Ciudad de Lorqui, while Recreativo Huelva and Sporting Gijon played to a 1-1 draw.
Pellegrini said in quotes reported by Marca: "I'm very embarrassed. There's no reason or explanation for how the team have performed. You have to stand up and everyone has to take responsibility to change things in the next game.
"There's no explanations. We were focused and the training sessions were very good, but Alcorcon played very well. We hope our fans can forgive us after this defeat.''
Pellegrini is no stranger to cup shocks, having been in charge of a Villarreal outfit that were trounced 5-0 by Segunda Division B Polideportivo Ejido at the same stage of last year's competition before going out 6-1 on aggregate.
Madrid, who have not won the Copa del Rey since 1993, were also the victims of an upset last season as they were knocked out at the fourth-round stage by another third tier side, Real Union, on away goals after drawing 5-5 on aggregate.
Pellegrini said: "Our opponents...we've seen it 3,200 times before. A team who were tremendously motivated and were able to play at their best. I saw them in recent games, we had reports, but they played very well.
"We need to react. We are going to find difficult opponents all over the place. We need to play well everywhere." Regarding his future at the club, the Chilean insisted he would not be stepping down, adding: "I am not thinking about my job or about resigning, only the next match.''
Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano has apologised to his club's supporters following the humiliating 4-0 Copa del Rey defeat to third division Alcorcon. Valdano said after the match: ''It's difficult. I know how the Madrid fans must be feeling and we apologise to them.''
Valdano believes Madrid can still turn the tie around in the second leg at the Bernabeu in a fortnight though, and also gave his backing to under-pressure coach Pellegrini.
''This team is made of up good players and great professionals who are capable of turning this situation around. They are proud players and today we've had really a bad night. ''We have to be united. And when I say united, I include the coach in that,'' added Valdano on his club's website.
