Real Madrid's unfortunate season came to a tough end with a loss in the Copa Del Rey against Atletico Madrid. The game saw Real dominate throughout, but the team slowly unraveled with ejections of its coach and major star in extra time.
Real Madrid controlled play early on and barely gave their opponents and time or space with the sphere. At the 14th minute mark, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a big goal off a corner kick. As the ball swooped into the area, Ronaldo leaped up and headed the ball into the left corner past Atletico goalie Thibault Cortois. After conceding the goal, Jose Mourinho's club seemed to recede into a defensive shell; their opponents slowly took over control of the game and the momentum. Atletico had a few chances, but nothing particularly dangerous. Fortunately, Real Madrid seemed unable to develop any momentum or create any space for an effective counterattack. Eventually, Atletico caught Madrid in the offensive zone. Colombian striker Radamel Falcao won the ball from Raul Albiol after a few moves and eventually cut to his right. He passed the ball down the middle to a cutting Diego Costa; the forward took the pass and eventually struck it past goalkeeper Diego Lopez to even the score at the 35th minute. The goal seemed to awaken Real Madrid as the team took back control over the game. A nice sequence of passes eventually found Real's Sergio Ramos with space on the left side of the box. Unfortunately, the defender flicked the ball with his heel; it went straight to the Atletico goalie. Later on in the half, the ball made its way to Los Blancos' Mesut Ozil. The German fired the bouncing ball at the goal and it hit the post to keep the score tied at one.
Real Madrid eventually took control of the second half. Inside the 60 minute mark, Cristiano Ronaldo cut into the box off the left wing and fired a pass into the box. The ball bounced about until Karim Benzema snuck it through the defense and goalkeeper. The ball hit the post and bounced out to an open Ozil. The German took his time and fired at a seemingly empty net. However, defender Juanfran stopped the shot to keep the score tied at one. At the 67th minute, Benzema got pulled down on a rush upfield and earned his team a free kick just outside the post. Ronaldo shot the ball under Atletico's wall of men, but hit the post. Michael Essien fired the rebound over the net despite having time and space to give Real Madrid the lead. In the 76th minute, coach Mourinho protested a foul and was sent off by the referee. Up to that point, his club had earned four yellow cards while the opposition had only been handed two.
The game wound up heading to extra time where Miranda headed in a cross at the 98th minute to give Atletico a 2-1 lead. Real Madrid's hopes of winning ended with a red card to Cristiano Ronaldo in the 114th minute. Tempers flared and both benches got into a battle. A fan even threw an object at Atletico goalie Cortois and hit him in the head.
The victory was the first since 1999 for Atletico Madrid against Real Madrid.
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