Atletico Madrid booked a meeting with Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey after cruising to a 5-2 aggregate win over L'Hospitalet.
Diego Simeone's side went into tonight's clash at the Vicente Calderon with a 3-0 aggregate lead after dominating the first leg.
If the tie was not over prior to kickoff, then it was on 19 minutes when Mario Mandzukic slotted the opener to put the Spanish champions four goals ahead on aggregate.
Ruben Alcaraz made it 1-1 on the night with a deflected effort on 68 minutes, but Mandzukic completed his brace shortly after, before Alcaraz added his team's second with a 35-yard stunner late on.
Good evening! I'm Shane and I'll be guiding you through Atletico Madrid's second-leg last-32 Copa del Rey clash with L'Hospitalet at the Vicente Calderon. Like ordering giraffe at a restaurant, it's an extremely tall order for the visitors tonight, with Kiko Ramirez's side trailing 3-0 from the first leg two weeks ago.
Can they turn this around then? You can never say in never football, and tis' the season for miracles and magic and whatnot, but even still it takes an overwhelmingly optimistic outlook to see anything but a heavy aggregate defeat for the visitors tonight unfortunately.
But if there is one sliver of hope for L'Hospitalet it will be the fact that Atletico come into this clash on the back of a defeat AND coach Diego Simeone is expected to field quite a few of his fringe players tonight. Yep, Villarreal beat the Primera Liga champions 1-0 at the weekend, and many of their big-name players have been given the night off tonight
We'll see the likes of Mario Mandzukic and Koke from the start I think, but all-in-all it's a very inexperienced side. But let's have a look shall we? Why not.
Atletico XI:Jan Oblak; Jesus Gamez, Gimenez, Lucas, Ivan Perez; Mario Suarez, Koke, Saul, Rodriguez, Raul Jiminez, Mario Mandzukic
L'Hospitalet XI:Cramotta;Peque, Valentin, Jose, Augustin, Alcaraz, Barrera, Joel, Bueno, Carrieras, Vim
Atletico Subs: Moya; Monsalve, Keita, Raul Garcia Carlos Ramos
L'Hospitalet Subs: Canario, Olivier, Eric Via, Aleix Coch, IU
So, Mandzukic spearheads the attack as we expected, with Jiminez, Rodriguez, Saul, Koke and Mario Suarez in midfield. Ivan Perez, Lucas, Gimenez and Jesus Gamez make up the back four in front of Jan Oblak in goals.
Will that first XI be enough to down the third-tier club? It most definitely should be. Atletico are actually 1/100 to win this which, if you're not gambling savy, means that L'Hospitalet have very little chance to just win! Lord knows what the odds on them to actually qualify for the next round.
Incidentally, the winner of this tie will face none other than defending champions Real Madrid in the last 16, and if it's Atletico then it'll be a repeat of that stormy final in 2013, which saw Diego Simeone's side win 2-1 in extra time. Atletico have already beaten their cross-city rivals once this season so it'd be a very, very interesting tie.
PREDICTION: Right, so we're just seven minutes away now so let's glance into the future and see if we can't predict this one. I think Atletico will win, and win well. They're under-strength tonight, but they still should have more than enough to see off a L'Hospitalet side who are mid-table in Spain's third tier. Another 3-0 win to finish up the tie 6-0 on aggregate. That's how it's gon' be.
Right, the players are out on the field and they're performing the pre-match handshakes and whatnot. Melero Lopez takes charge of this one by the way. He's quite a big bloke so something tells me it's his way or the highway tonight.
KICKOFF: Right, Atletico get us underway in a virtually empty Vicente Calderon. There's very little attendance here tonight.
SHOT! Slightly ominous for L'Hospitalet as Atletico have already registered a shot on target, with Mario Mandzukic taking aim from long range but his effort flies well over the bar.
As expected, L'Hospitalet seeing very, very little of the ball so far. I'm really not sure they've strung together more than five passes as of yet. Atletico are dominating but they're yet to really threaten.
Decent passage of play from the visitors just then, as left-back Valentin gets forward really well and fires what looks a decent shot, but it's blocked shortly after leaving his foot. It's been a decent spell from the Catalan side overall.
It's gone a bit flat in recent minutes to be honest, with neither side really doing much in the final third. Of course, the onus is completely on L'Hospitalet here because Atletico are three goals up on aggregate!
Good run by left-back Ivan Perez but his end product let him down. The youngster got forward really well, playing a brilliant one-two with Rodriguez but, with Mandzukic unmarked in the box, Perez put too many fizz on the cross and it sailed over the Croatian's head.
Atletico have a decent chance to fizz the ball into the box, but it's a dreadful cross from Koke as goalkeeper Craviotto comes to collect under no pressure whatsoever. It's a slow burner this one, I won't lie.
GOAL!!! ATLETICO 1-0 L'HOSPITALET (Mario Mandzukic)
It's 4-0 on aggregate now as Mandzukic, who slotted his 13th goal in an Atletico shirt. He's lucky, though, as the Croatian latches on to Mario Suarez's deflected shot, before caressing the ball past Craviotto. No celebration. No need for one. It's just another nail in L'Hospitalet's coffin.
CHANCE! Atletico really on top as Mandzukic swings in a wonderful cross, but strike partner Raul Jimenez can't get enough connection on the header to power it past Craviotto.
The visitors, to their credit, are still having a go. They're 4-0 down on aggregate but they still push forward in a bid for what would surely be an equaliser.
Lovely little reverse pass from Mario Suarez there to find Jose Gimenez, but the latter's control lets him down and Craviotto collects the ball.
We're at the half-hour mark now and this is little more than a training exercise for the hosts, who are completely dominant; winning 4-0 on aggregate and 1-0 on the night.
CLOSE! L'Hospitalet do really well and very nearly make a game of it, Alcarez fires in a brilliant low cross toward Joel, but Atleti stopper Oblak is out to thwart the Spaniard.
YELLOW CARD: Busy night for Mandzukic, as the Atleti striker goes into the referee's notebook for a flailing elbow I think. He'll need to watch himself now because a last-16 tie with Real Madrid beckons, and Atletico can do without losing their 13-goal striker for it.
YELLOW CARD: Another Atletico booking now as Rodriguez receives a yellow card for a late, crunching challenge on Barrera. Good decision that.
You can tell plenty of these Atletico lads don't play with each other regularly because their attack has been fairly disjoined. Lots of through ball for Mandzukic that the striker never anticipated. A bit lukewarm overall from Atletico.
Four minutes left until the break and just a reminder that the visitors will need to score FOUR goals in the second half, whilst conceding none, if they are to qualify for the last 16. Best of luck to them.
Mandzukic has chased every ball tonight in a brilliant, industrious display from the striker. His goal is the difference between both sides on the night.
HALF TIME: ATLETICO 1-0 L'HOSPITALET
What did we make of that half then? Lukewarm, init. Atletico haven't been great in what has been quite a disjointed attacking performance, but they don't have to be. They went into the game with a 3-0 lead from the first leg and Mario Mandzukic has extended that already handsome advantage.
STATS: To sum up how meh this one has been, it's 2-0 to Atletico in the 'shots on goal' stakes. They've had 57% possession in that first half, which underlines their territorial dominance anyway but there's been very little to write home about.
RESTART: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back underway here, my friends. L'Hospitalet kick us off once again. We shouldn't expect any miracles, because they're 4-0 down on aggregate, but let's hope for goals.
SHOT! Really good interplay between Mandzukic and Rodriguez, with the latter squaring to Raul Jiminez on the right-hand side as the Mexican fires a shot at goal but the keeper saves at his near post. Would've been a very decent goal that.
We briefly mentioned him in the first half, but Bueno for the visitors looks very, very decent. He's had quite a few brilliant moments in the game so far, whether it's a delightful bit of skill or a clever nutmeg. He was also excellent in the first leg so he has certainly enhanced his reputation in this tie.
Crucial intervention from L'Hospitalet defender Jose Rodriguez there, as he dives to head away Saul's teasing cross which looks destined for the head of Mandzukic. Brilliant defending.
Yep, some of these Atleti players aren't on the same wavelength at all. Mandzukic leaves Koke's incisive pass in the belief that left-back Ivan Perez is there to run on to it, but he's not and the ball rolls out for a throw-in.
SUB: First sub of the game now and it' IU, who replaces Carreras on the hour mark. It'll be nice to the visitors get a goal from this. They won't win the game, and they certainly won't win the tie, but hopefully they give their fans something to celebrate.
CLOSE! This is far and away the best chance of the game - apart from the goal - as Koke whips in a brilliant ball, but Saul, at the back post, side foots millimetres wide of the mark. We need a goal here to liven things up a bit.
GOAL!!! ATLETICO 1-1 L'HOSPITALET
A lovely moment for the visitors now as Alcaraz watches his deflected shot loop over Oblak and nestle in the back of the net. You won't see a bigger grin from a footballer again this season. He's absolutely delighted, and why shouldn't he be. It's most certainly a consolation in the grand scheme of things, but they're back on level terms on the night. Fair play.
L'Hospitalet need three more goals to progress, by the way. It's still a massive ask but it might force Atletico into life a little more.
GOAL!!! ATLETICO 2-1 L'HOSPITALET (Mario Mandzukic)
We said that the visitors' equaliser would spark Atleti into life a bit more, and it has. Mandzukic bags his second of the night, heading home Koke's magnificent cross. It was an old-fashioned diving header actually, which we don't see a lot of anymore.
BOOKING: First booking for L'Hospitalet now as Jose Rodriguez goes into the book for a foul on Koke.
SUB: L'Hospitalet make their last sub now as Ruben Carreras makes way for Eric Via. Still no changes for Atletico, which is interesting. This is their last home game of 2014 so, given the comfort of their lad, you'd think Simeone would give a few more younger lads a run-out.
Speak of the devils, Simeone is readying a double substitution now but it's unclear who they are at the moment.
WHAT A GOAL!!! ATLETICO 2-2 L'HOSPITALET (Alcaraz)
what a night it's been for Ruben Alcarez. The 23-year-old gets his second of the night, taking aim from about 35 yards and watching it swerve through Oblak before finding the net via the crossbar. Arguably the best goal I've seen in European football so far this season. Stunner.
SAVE! Incredible end to this one as Keita almost scores an own goal to win this for the visitors, but Oblak dives across brilliantly to keep the ball out. Brilliant save.
TWO MINUTES ADDED ON:
FULL TIME: ATLETICO MADRID 2-2 (5-2) L'Hospitalet That's it. It started out a bit boring, but what a brilliant second half that spawned the best goal I've seen this season from Ruben Alcaraz, who made it 2-2 with a 35-yard stunner. Atletico progress to the last 16, though, and will meet Real Madrid in the next round!
That's all from us folks. Hopefully you've enjoyed our coverage of this one and we'll see you next time.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
