VALENCIA, Spain — Gareth Bale filled the void left by the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, sealing Real Madrids 19th Copa del Rey title with a late goal in Wednesdays 2-1 win over Barcelona. Blues Jerseys 2020 . Ronaldos extra-time play gave Madrid the 2011 Copa del Rey title at Barcelonas expense. In his absence Wednesday, Bale scored in the 85th minute — his first goal in three „clasico“ matches — to make sure Madrid repeated the feat. Angel Di Maria scored Madrids opener from a counterattack in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a Barcelona lineup that seemed to lack ideas in attack and was slow to recover in defence. Defender Marc Bartra equalized against the run of play in the 67th by heading in from a corner kick to ruin goalkeeper Iker Casillas record run of not conceding in this edition of the tournament. The goal appeared to energize Barcelona, sparking Lionel Messi into action and ensuring the last 15 minutes became a frenetic back-and-forth contest. But with the game hanging in the balance, Bale got the winner when he sprinted down the left side of the pitch, even running out of bounds to avoid Bartra, before racing into the area and rolling the ball under goalkeeper Jose Pinto. „It is difficult to see a player be able to sprint like that at that stage of the game,“ Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said. „The game was going our way after we had levelled, until that counterattack.“ Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said the goal was „surely the most important“ of Bales career, which took a major turn last summer when Madrid broke its own spending record to pay his (euro)100-million transfer to pry him from Tottenham. „It was a decisive moment. When Bartra scored anything could have happened,“ Ancelotti said. Barcelona, however, still had one last chance, only for Neymars shot to hit the upright in the 90th. Neymars last-gasp effort almost „scared us to death,“ Casillas said. „Fortune was on our side, and we are thankful for it.“ Ronaldo joined his teammates to celebrate with their fans on the pitch before the team filed past King Juan Carlos to receive their medals and the prized trophy. The plane carrying the Spanish monarch had technical problems that delayed take-off, but he arrived on time to watch the match along with more than 50,000 spectators divided into large sections of white and blue-and-burgundy club colours. After failing to win the cup competition between 1993 and 2011, Madrid has won it twice in the last four years. Ancelotti earned his first trophy for Madrid and first „clasico“ win after losing his first two meetings with Barcelona, and his team will now focus on overtaking Atletico Madrid in the league and its Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich. The loss is a setback for Barcelona and a major blow to Martino. In an eight-day span, Barcelona exited Europes top-tier competition with a loss, slipped to third place in the Spanish league, and then lost Copa del Rey to its fiercest rival. „It has been a hard week on all fronts,“ said Martino, who remains confident of hanging on to his job for one more season. „As I have said for one, two, three months now, I dont feel that my future has changed because of all that we lost, and nor do I think it would be different if we had won.“ Barcelona will now have to catch both Madrid and Atletico with only five rounds left in the Spanish league to make sure it doesnt end the season without a major piece of silverware for the first time since the arrival of Pep Guardiola in 2008-09. Wholesale Blues Jerseys . Roma has a game in hand but now second place is even at risk for the capital side as Napoli moved to within three points with the win. „The result is not always fair,“ Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. „If we play like this until the end we will win many matches. Stitched Blues Jerseys . Toronto dropped a 7-2 decision to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon, with only a pair of late runs preventing a second straight shutout loss. Josh Willingham belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Kendrys Morales hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh as the Twins took the rubber game of the three-game series.Andre Russell took four wickets and affected a run out in the final over as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by seven runs at Eden Gardens to go top of the IPL table. Russell took 4-20, with his figures reading 3-3 after the wicket of David Miller (13) midway through his third over, the 18th of the innings.Axar Patel (21) ruined Russells figures somewhat with back-to-back sixes later in that same over to leave Kings XI needing just 22 from the final two overs.Russell returned to form in the final over though, conceding just four runs, and picking up the vital wicket off Patel second ball, running him out after some fantastic fielding off his own bowling.Kolkata had earlier set Kings XI 165 to win, with Robin Uthappa (70) and Gautam Ghambir (54) both striking fifties in a third IPL century stand between the pair.But after both were dismissed via run-outs, Kolkata struggled in the final overs – despite 16 off 10 balls for Russell – with only 14 added from the final two.Kings XIs run-chase got off to a dreadful start, Russell removing Marcus Stoinis for a duck fourth ball, and adding the strike of Vohra – also not troubling the scorers – in the third.Murali Vijay fell to Morne Morkel (1-27) next ball as Kings XI slipped to 13-3, but Glenn Maxwell came in and blasted 68 from 42 balls to lead the recovery – his fifty coming up after 29 balls. St.Louis Blues Gear. Glenn Maxwell (R) hit six fours and four sixes in his knock but it wasnt enough for Kings XI Millers struggle for form continued, his 13 taking 18 deliveries, although he was fortunate to survive being bowled first ball by Brad Hogg – the ball hitting the stumps but not dislodging the bail.Piyush Chawla (2-27) picked up the key wicket of Maxwell lbw in the 16th over, but Kings XI were always in the game until Russells efforts in the final overs.Kolkata go top of the table with the win, their sixth in nine games, while Kings XI stay bottom after a sixth defeat in eight.Catch more IPL action on Thursday as Delhi Daredevils take on Rising Pune Supergiants. That clash is live on Sky Sports 2 from 3pm. ‚ ‚ ‚
Celá debata | RSS tejto debaty