New Delhi: Real Madrid have been dumped out of the Copa del Rey on the away goals rule despite a Raul Gonzalez hat-trick to bring them within four minutes of qualification.
Needing to overturn a 3-2 deficit, Bernd Schuster took no chances with his line-up as he fielded a strong starting XI, especially in attack, with the likes of Raul, Rafael Van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Royston Drenthe leading the frontline.
The men in white went on the attack immediately but were cruelly exposed at the back as Union took a shock lead on 14 minutes. But captain, Raul, ever the leader, hauled them back into the contest and an eventually hat-trick, along with a goal from youngster Alberto Bueno, look set to send them on their way to another splendid come from behind win.
But a 90th minute goal from Union striker Eneko Romo stunned the Bernabeu faithful and it proved to be the crucial away goal that the Segunda B’outfit needed to dump Los Blancos out of the competition.
First half
Desperate to get the edge early on, Madrid expected went on the attack straight away. But that meant being exposed at the back and Union took advantage of that.
The visiting minnows who had three shots on target even before Bernd Schuster’s men could mount a significant attack and they were duly punished in the 14th minute when Salgado failed to clear a deep cross from the right to the back post and Abasolo ghosted in behind him to steer a low shot past Dudek.
Union continue to look threatening and the most likeliest to score again as the host struggled to create any meaningful chances. In fact, they had to wait until the 36th minute before they could breach the backline and fortunately for them, they made it count.
Marcelo and Raul combined to finally unlock the visiting defence and beat goalkeeper Edouard, who had barely been called upon up to this point.
But it was the Basque outfit who ended the half stronger, as Salcedo and co. tested Dudek on a few occasions and gave Schuster a long, hard think during the interval on how to alleviate what was starting to become a catastrophic situation.
Second half
As is so often the case this season, Madrid were caught out again at the start of the second period. Just four minutes in, Salcedo restored Union’s lead when he latched on to a through ball that split the merengue backline and coolly slotted past a hapless Dudek.
But just like it was against Málaga at the weekend, the capital giants drew levelled 60 seconds later. Sneijder fed Saviola through on goal, who rolled the ball on for Raul and the captain finished easily to make it 2-2 to bring the aggregate deficit down to just 4-5.
It meant that Los Blancos needed two goals – without conceding – to secure their place in the round of 16 and they did exactly just that.
Canterano Alberto Bueno came on to replace Drenthe on the hour mark and eight minutes later, he scored his very first senior goal. Picking up a pass just outside of the penalty area, he spun past his marker and rifled in a fierce drive straight into the corner of the goal, leaving Edouard no chance.
With the aggregate score at five apiece, Madrid still needed another goal and Raul dutifully obliged when he struck four minutes from time to seal his hat-trick.
Bueno cleverly dummied a low cross from the right to deceive Edouard and the veteran captain easily tapped the ball into the empty net.
But right at the death, Madrid were given a taste of their own comeback medicine.
Substitute Eneko Romo once again took advantage of some slack defending as he towered above Metzelder to thump a header past Dudek.
Despite four minutes of injury time, Los Merengues simply could not summon another miraculous fightback as their hopes of Copa del Rey success came to a premature end for another year at the hands of a third division side who outscored them on the away goals rule.
Line-ups
Real Madrid: Dudek, Salgado, Metzelder, Cannavaro (Javi Garcia 46’), Marcelo, Gago, Sneijder, Drenthe (Bueno 60’), Van der Vaart, Raul, Saviola (Higuain 80’)
Real Union: Edouard, Larrainzar, Iglesias, Berruet, Gurrutxaga, Aitor Sanz, Beobide, Manu Garcia, Abasolo (Goikoetxea 72’), Seguro (Eneko Romo 56’), Salcedo (Juan Dominguez 62’)
Real Madrid 4-3 Real Union
0-1: Real Union (Abasolo 14’)
1-1: Real Madrid (Raul 36’)
1-2: Real Union (Salcedo 49’)
2-2: Real Madrid (Raul 50’)
3-2: Real Madrid (Bueno 68’)
4-2: Real Madrid (Raul 86’)
4-3: Real Union (Eneko Romo 90’)
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