La Liga

Real Madrid Cruise To Easy Copa Win

Jose Callejon scored twice as holders Real Madrid crushed Ponferradina 5-1 in a Copa del Rey last-32 second leg to progress 7-1 on aggregate.

Espanyol, Real Mallorca and Sevilla also booked their places in the last 16 with victories. The rest of the second legs are to be played on Wednesday and Thursday before the start of Spain’s two-week winter break.

Callejon, a product of the Real youth system who has returned after a spell at Espanyol, set an under-strength side on course after 25 minutes at the Bernabeu and Turkey midfielder Sahin nodded in from a corner just before the break.
Rafael Varane and youth-team forward Joselu scored either side of Acoran’s goal for the visitors, before the busy Callejon raced away to net his third of the tie and ninth in all competitions at the end.

Sahin has had few chances to show what he can do since signing from for the Madrid side from Borussia Dortmund in May because of injury but he is slowly starting to find his feet.

Financially-troubled Real Mallorca came back from a 1-0 first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at Sporting Gijon thanks to an own-goal by Alejandro Menendez and Emilio Nsue’s second-half strike.

Espanyol thumped second division Celta Vigo 4-2 at home, a red card for Celta midfielder Enrique De Lucas in the 27th minute opening the door for the hosts. The La Liga side made the extra man count as Vladimir Weiss opened the scoring three minutes later and a late double from Celta’s David Rodriguez was too little too late for the visitors after a goalless first leg.

Last-season’s semi-finalists Sevilla were 2-1 winners at home to third-tier San Roque in the late kick-off. Mali striker Frederic Kanoute scored with a twice-taken penalty and a header, adding to his goal from the first leg, to secure a 3-1 aggregate win.