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Real Madrid Beats Leganes 3-2 to Reach Copa Semifinals

Soccer Football - Copa del Rey - Quarter Final - Leganes v Real Madrid - Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganes, Spain - February 5, 2025 Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Juan Medina
Soccer Football - Copa del Rey - Quarter Final - Leganes v Real Madrid - Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganes, Spain - February 5, 2025 Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Juan Medina
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Real Madrid Beats Leganes 3-2 to Reach Copa Semifinals

Soccer Football - Copa del Rey - Quarter Final - Leganes v Real Madrid - Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganes, Spain - February 5, 2025 Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Juan Medina
Soccer Football - Copa del Rey - Quarter Final - Leganes v Real Madrid - Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganes, Spain - February 5, 2025 Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Juan Medina

Gonzalo García scored in stoppage time as Real Madrid avoided an upset by defeating Leganes 3-2 to reach the semifinals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Madrid had taken a two-goal lead at halftime with Luka Modric and Endrick before the hosts rallied to even the match in the second half.
The 20-year-old García, a striker who usually plays with Madrid's “B” team, sealed the victory with a header three minutes into stoppage time after a cross by Brahim Díaz, The Associated Press reported.
“I’m thrilled, filled with emotions. It has been a dream since I was a child and since I joined the youth teams. I’m happy to have scored the goal that gave us a place in the semifinals," García said. “It was a perfect cross by Brahim and the ball went in by itself.”
Another setback would have been troublesome for Madrid after it lost 1-0 at Espanyol in the Spanish league on Saturday for its second defeat in 15 matches across all competitions. Madrid had needed extra time to eliminate Celta Vigo at home in the round of 16 of the Copa last month.
“We suffered but we are in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We have to be satisfied with the outcome.”
Modric opened the scoring with a strike from close range in the 18th and Endrick doubled the lead after picking up a loose ball inside the area in the 25th.
The hosts rallied with Juan Cruz converting a penalty kick in the 39th and finding the net with a shot that deflected on a defender in the 59th.
Madrid nearly moved ahead again when Díaz's flick over the goalkeeper struck the crossbar in the 75th.
Atletico Madrid had become the first team to reach the semifinals when it routed Getafe 5-0 at home on Tuesday with a pair of goals by Giuliano Simeone, the 22-year-old son of Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
In the other two quarterfinals on Thursday, it will be Real Sociedad hosting Osasuna and Barcelona playing at Valencia.
Madrid was depleted in defense because of recent injuries to Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba. Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal had already been out with long-term ailments.
Ancelotti used youngsters Jacobo Ramón and Raúl Asencio as the central defenders, and improvised midfielder Federico Valverde in the right back position. Valverde picked up his 200th win in 295 matches with Madrid.
Ancelotti praised the youth-squad players who came through for the main team.
“The youngsters have been doing a very good job,” Ancelotti said. “They lack experience but have been doing very well. We know that we can count on them.”
Ancelotti rested some regular starters ahead of the Spanish league derby against Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday. Madrid leads Atletico by one point at the top of the standings.
Madrid last won the Copa in 2022-23. It was eliminated by Atletico in the round of 16 last season.
Leganes only made it to the Copa semifinals in 2017-18, when it was eliminated by Sevilla. It is winless in three matches in all competitions and sits in 16th place in the Spanish league.

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Sports

Real Madrid Beat Valencia to Stay on Barcelona’s Heels

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, celebrates with Alvaro Carreras, right, and Brahim Diaz after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, celebrates with Alvaro Carreras, right, and Brahim Diaz after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP)
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Real Madrid Beat Valencia to Stay on Barcelona’s Heels

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, celebrates with Alvaro Carreras, right, and Brahim Diaz after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, celebrates with Alvaro Carreras, right, and Brahim Diaz after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP)

Real Madrid stayed within one point of LaLiga leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 win at Valencia on Sunday as second-half goals by Alvaro Carreras and Kylian Mbappe settled a largely uneventful contest.

Real dominated possession but found chances hard to come by, with Valencia keeper Stole Dimitrievski rarely called into action as the visitors struggled to turn control into threat.

It took them until the 65th minute to break the deadlock through Carreras before Mbappe wrapped up the points in stoppage time.

Barcelona lead the table on 58 points, with Real second on 57. Valencia are 17th, a point above the relegation zone.

Mbappe offered the main outlet with sporadic ‌runs down the ‌left but clear openings were limited.

Real coach Alvaro ‌Arbeloa ⁠was forced ‌to improvise, missing suspended winger Vinicius Jr and injured trio Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Eder Militao.

The absences opened the door for academy players Raul Asensio, David Jimenez and Gonzalo Garcia to start, with Mbappe providing the lone spark for an uninspiring Real side.

The deadlock was broken through fullback Carreras in a fortunate turn of events.

Making an ambitious run into the box, Carreras was dispossessed by Valencia's defenders, but ⁠the attempted clearance ricocheted back off him and fortuitously fell at his feet.

The 22-year-old was quickest ‌to react, sweeping a low shot into the bottom-left ‍corner.

Valencia offered little in response and ‍Real sealed the points in added time. Substitute Brahim Diaz launched a ‍counter-attack down the left and slid a low cross into the area for Mbappe, who finished first time from close range.

It was the France forward's 23rd league goal, leaving him eight goals clear at the top of the scoring charts.

“Playing at Valencia is always like going to the dentist," Arbeloa told reporters.

"We knew how difficult the match would be, how demanding they would be. ⁠It was a very serious and committed match. I'm happy.

"We can certainly raise our game in terms of brilliance. We have a lot of room for improvement. But a team is built on solidity and commitment. (Thibaut) Courtois didn't make a single save today. Dedication, commitment, sacrifice. Madrid demonstrated those values once again today."

Elsewhere on Sunday, Atletico Madrid slipped further adrift in the title race after a 1-0 home loss to Real Betis.

Antony struck in the 28th minute with a fierce effort from the edge of the box, earning Manuel Pellegrini's side a valuable victory as they bolstered their push for European qualification.

Atletico are a distant third ‌in the table on 45 points, three points ahead of fourth-placed Villarreal, who have two games in hand. Betis sit fifth on 38 points.

Sports

Australia Humiliated by Ecuador in Davis Cup Qualifier

Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega
Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega
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Australia Humiliated by Ecuador in Davis Cup Qualifier

Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega
Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega

Australia slumped to their worst Davis Cup result under long-serving captain Lleyton Hewitt, suffering a 3-1 humiliation away to lowly Ecuador in the first round of qualifiers on Sunday.

With Australia's number one Alex De Minaur opting out of the tie in Quito, the 28-times champions crashed out when Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson were beaten 7-6(5) 6-4 by Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo in the decisive doubles rubber.

Lacking a player in the top 200, Ecuador set up their unlikely triumph on home clay by claiming ⁠both the opening singles rubbers on Saturday.

Alvaro Guillen Meza downed Hijikata in three sets before 257th-ranked Andres Andrade shocked world number 86 James Duckworth, also in three, Reuters reported.

Ecuador next face Britain in the second round of qualifiers in September.

With De Minaur leading the charge, Australia reached back-to-back finals in 2022-23 and ⁠the semi-finals in 2024.

However, the Ecuador shock continues the team's decline following their failure to reach the eight-nation Finals in 2025, Hewitt's 10th year in charge.

India's Dhakshineswar Suresh won both his singles matches and partnered Yuki Bhambri to victory in the doubles as India beat Netherlands 3-2 in Bengaluru.

The 25-year-old held his nerve under immense pressure in the final rubber against Guy de Ouden to win 6-4 7-6 (4) and guide India to the second round of qualifiers ⁠for the first time since the new Davis Cup format began in 2019.

“It’s just a different feeling when you’re playing for your country,” Suresh, who has a world ranking of 470, told the Davis Cup website after the win. “You are not playing for yourself, you’re playing for the whole nation."

India meet South Korea in the next round in September after the Koreans defeated Argentina 3-2. The United States beat Hungary 4-0 while Britain also secured a 4-0 win over Norway and Canada beat Brazil 3-2.

Sports

Saudi Arabia: RCU Partners with ASICS to Support Sports Development

The MoU was signed at the Cultural Oasis in AlUla. SPA
The MoU was signed at the Cultural Oasis in AlUla. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: RCU Partners with ASICS to Support Sports Development

The MoU was signed at the Cultural Oasis in AlUla. SPA
The MoU was signed at the Cultural Oasis in AlUla. SPA

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ASICS, aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation to support the development of AlUla’s sports ecosystem and enhance talent pathways, in line with RCU’s long-term vision and future ambitions.

The MoU, signed at the Cultural Oasis in AlUla, establishes a framework for future collaboration through which RCU will explore opportunities to leverage ASICS’ technical, operational, and specialized advisory expertise across sports development and performance services, including assessment and analysis, to enhance the quality of sporting experiences in AlUla.

The cooperation includes joint efforts to support a more integrated sports ecosystem through initiatives that strengthen training environments, enhance athletic performance, and advance athlete development pathways and talent programs. RCU and ASICS will also explore opportunities to develop distinctive events and initiatives and attract regional and international competitions that contribute to AlUla’s growing profile on global sporting calendars.

The MoU further supports collaboration on community engagement through grassroots programs and social impact initiatives that encourage participation and wellbeing. It also enables exploration of digital enhancements that improve event delivery and participant engagement, including smarter registration, data management, and participant tracking for the AlUla Trail Race and other events across AlUla’s calendar.

This step is part of RCU’s ongoing efforts to develop the sports ecosystem in AlUla and increase community participation in sporting activities, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to advance the sports sector and enhance the quality of life.