Sergio Ramos scored twice as Real Madrid came from behind to record a 4-2 win over Girona in Thursday night's Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg at the Bernabeu.
Girona took a seventh-minute lead on the night through Anthony Lozano, but Real Madrid responded in impressive fashion to ensure that they would take a lead into the second leg of the last-eight tie next week.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
Evening all and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final between Real Madrid and Girona from the Bernabeu. Los Blancos overcame Leganes in the round of 16 courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate score, while Girona shocked Atletico Madrid to make the final eight of the competition. It will be the first time that these two teams have locked horns in the Copa del Rey. Kickoff is just five minutes away in the Spanish capital!
TEAMS!
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Odriozola, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo; Ceballos, Modric, Casemiro; Vinicius, Benzema, Vazquez
GIRONA: Iraizoz; Ramalho, Alcala, Juanpe, Muniesa, R Garcia; Luiz, B Garcia, Granell; Doumbia, Lozano
Real Madrid have been boosted by the recent returns of Toni Kroos and Marcos Llorente from injury and the pair are on the bench tonight. Nacho and Marcelo return to the back four, while Dani Ceballos and Lucas Vazquez are also included. Vinicius Junior has been the team's standout player in recent weeks and the Brazilian will again support Karim Benzema in the final third.
As for Girona, their leading scorer Cristhian Stuani – 13 goals in all competitions this season – is only on the bench, with Anthony Lozano and Seydou Doumbia picked as the front two. It will be a back five for the visitors tonight, while on-loan Manchester City midfielder Douglas Luiz also starts.
Both sets of players are on the pitch and we are just about ready for kickoff at the Bernabeu. Can Girona shock Real Madrid tonight? Stay tuned right here to find out what occurs.
KICKOFF: Real Madrid kick things off on home soil...
... far from a full house inside the stadium, but there is a good atmosphere and it should be an open match. Girona have already shown their attacking intent in the opening two minutes.
Tonight is just the fourth ever meeting between Real Madrid and Girona in all competitions. Girona recorded a 2-1 win in the first La Liga clash in October 2017, but have lost 6-3 and 4-1 to the Madrid giants in their last two encounters. The visitors have been bright early on here.
The quarter-finals already represents Girona's best-ever showing in the Copa del Rey. Indeed, Eusebio Sacristan's side overcame Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 courtesy of a 3-3 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano in the second leg of their clash last week. Girona needed away goals to progress, with Seydou Doumbia's 88th-minute effort proving decisive.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 0-1 GIRONA (LOZANO)
Oh my word! Girona take the lead in the seventh minute of this match as Lozano sends a low cross from R Garcia into the back of the net! Not sure about the defending there!
The Copa del Rey would not have been high on Girona's list of priorities this season, but the Catalan outfit are now on the cusp of the semi-finals and will have drawn plenty of confidence from their away-goals success over Atletico. Girona lead in this first leg and they deserve it.
Real Madrid have won the Copa del Rey on 19 occasions, but have not landed the trophy since 2014, with Barcelona utterly dominating the competition in recent years. Los Blancos have actually only landed the Copa del Rey on two occasions since 1993, which is incredible.
SHOT! Casemiro fires a long-range shot over the Girona crossbar.
SHOT! Super strike from Marcelo, but Iraizoz makes a sharp save!
It has been a turbulent campaign for Real Madrid, who sacked Julen Lopetegui following a poor start to the campaign. They are all but out of the title race due to Barcelona's current form, but the Copa del Rey does provide a genuine chance to land some domestic silverware, which has been hard for the club to find in recent years. Their response to falling behind has been good.
Granell is fortunate to escape a booking for a late challenge on Ceballos. Ramos and Casemiro made the point to the referee, but Granell gets away with a poor one there.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 1-1 GIRONA (LUCAS)
All square! Real Madrid level the scores in the 19th minute as Odriozola breaks into the Girona box before playing a clever pass to Lucas, who fires into the back of the net from close range!
Plenty happening in this match at the moment as Girona go straight down the other end, leading to Courtois fumbling a cross from Ramalho. End-to-end stuff in the capital.
SHOT! Vinicius finds Benzema with a low cross inside the Girona box, but the Frenchman misses the target! Again it is wonderful work from the teenage Brazilian.
CHANCE! Odriozola again breaks into the Girona box. This time the defender chooses to shoot and Iraizoz makes a really smart save. Good work Odriozola once again.
Odriozola has caused Girona all sorts of problems down the right in the opening 26 minutes of this match. The right-back set up the equaliser and continues to find space out there.
Real Madrid have three more domestic matches before the end of the month and will then open February with La Liga games against Alaves and Atletico Madrid before travelling to Ajax in the Champions League. It could yet be a successful campaign for the club, but it could also quite easily go the other way. Solari's side remain on top here as they search for a second goal.
CLOSE! Vinicius creates some space in a dangerous area before just missing the crossbar with a curling effort. The 18-year-old continues to impress for Los Blancos.
SAVE! Easy enough save for Iraizoz to keep out an attempt from Benzema.
Just a reminder that the second leg of this quarter-final takes place in Catalonia next week. Girona will be delighted to have registered an away goal and could yet find more.
Real Madrid continue to find space in attacking positions, but Girona are so dangerous on the counter-attack, with Lozano and Doumbia both causing problems with their movement.
Lozano comes close to finding Doumbia with a through pass as Girona threaten again, but Ramos just makes the clearance. Girona are so dangerous in the final third.
YELLOW CARD! Alcala (Girona) is booked for a poor tackle on Vinicius.
SAVE! Decent stop from Iraizoz to keep out a strike from Benzema.
Girona finished 10th last season in their first La Liga campaign, while they currently occupy 12th position in Spain's top flight with 24 points from their 20 matches this term. The Catalan outfit entered this game off the back of a 3-2 defeat at Real Betis, however, and they have not actually picked up all three points in a La Liga clash since the end of November.
VAR are having a look at a possible penalty - Luiz on Modric...
... no penalty. Luiz tackled Modric from behind, but no spot kick.
PENALTY! Real Madrid have a penalty as Lozano clips Vinicius inside the box!
GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-1 GIRONA (RAMOS, PEN)
Ramos again chips the ball straight down the middle for 2-1! Some spot kick!
Girona need to be careful that they do not concede a third before the break as Real Madrid continue to force the issue. We have not seen the last of the goals in this match I am sure!
OFF THE POST! Benzema's low strike just clips the outside of the post!
YELLOW CARD! Nacho (Real Madrid) is booked for a poor challenge on B Garcia.
HALF TIME: REAL MADRID 2-1 GIRONA
So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Real Madrid leading Girona 2-1 in the first leg of this Copa del Rey quarter-final. Lozano sent Girona ahead early on, but goals from Lucas and Ramos see the European champions lead at the interval.
STATISTICS! Real Madrid had 60% of the ball in the first period, while they managed 13 shots, six of which were on target. Girona, meanwhile, hit the target with just one of their two attempts. Two yellow cards to report, with Alcala (Girona) and Nacho (Real Madrid) in the book.
BENCH WATCH! Girona have their leading scorer Stuani on the bench tonight, while Pons and Portu are also available for Eusebio if he wishes. Real Madrid's bench includes the likes of Isco and Brahim Diaz, while fit-again pair Kroos and Marcos Llorente are also available here.
KICKOFF: Girona resume the action here...
... GIRONA SUB! Espinosa has replaced Alcala at the break.
CLOSE! It has been a bright start to the second period, with both teams committing numbers in the final third. Marcelo has just clipped a cross onto Modric's head, but his effort is wide.
SAVE! Smart save from Iraizoz to keep out a strike from Benzema!
Doumbia heads a B Garcia cross just wide of the post, but the striker was offside.
Ceballos breaks into the Real Madrid box once again, but Espinosa does really well to get in front of the midfielder and win his team a free kick to ease the pressure somewhat.
Girona are struggling to get out of their own half at the moment as Real Madrid continue to force the issue. Marcelo and Odriozola are almost playing as wing-backs here.
Little over 30 minutes of the second period remaining and Real Madrid remain on the front foot. The hosts are going to make a change as Llorente receives his instructions.
REAL MADRID SUB! Llorente replaces Casemiro for the home side.
GIRONA SUB! Paik replaces B Garcia for the away side.
As it stands, Girona would be pretty happy with this result. However, I would be surprised if there were not more goals here as Real Madrid continue to really force the issue.
SHOT! Ceballos has a powerful strike blocked on the edge of the Girona box.
YELLOW CARD! Ramos (Real Madrid) is booked for a foul on Lozano.
REAL MADRID SUB! Modric is replaced by Kroos for the home side.
CLOSE! Ramalho delivers a dangerous cross into the Real Madrid box, but Doumbia gets his strike all wrong and another opportunity for the away side comes and goes here.
PENALTY! Llorente (Real Madrid) is booked for handball and Girona have a penalty!
What on earth is Llorente doing there! Clear penalty here!
GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-2 GIRONA (GRANELL, PEN)
Wonderful penalty from Granell to find the back of the net!
Real Madrid are preparing to make their third change and it will be Isco here.
REAL MADRID SUB! Isco replaces Ceballos for the home side.
Surely there is a fifth goal in this match with both teams committing numbers forward. Real Madrid will be seriously kicking themselves if they do not find a way to win this one.
Real Madrid are back on the break after Doumbia loses the ball and the home side have a free kick in a dangerous position as Benzema's hand is pulled by Juanpe...
... Kroos sees his free kick deflect harmlessly over the crossbar.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 3-2 GIRONA (RAMOS)
Real Madrid re-take the lead on home soil as Ramos heads a Marcelo cross home!
GIRONA SUB! Lozano is replaced by Portu for Girona.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 4-2 GIRONA (BENZEMA)
Potentially a massive goal in this tie! Real Madrid have their fourth of the match as Vinicius' low cross is turned into the back of the net by Benzema! Brilliant from Vinicius once again.
CLOSE! Benzema misses the crossbar with a strike from outside the Girona box!
A fifth goal for Real Madrid would make it very difficult for Girona to respond next week. However, as it stands, Girona are at least in with a shout of making the semi-finals.
Girona are really pushing players forward at the moment as they look for a third.
It appears that there will be three minutes of added time here...
... it is indeed three minutes extra.
Not too much to report in the last couple of minutes as the full-time whistle draws closer. Real Madrid will seemingly take a 4-2 advantage into the second leg of this tie next week.
FULL TIME: REAL MADRID 4-2 GIRONA
So there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Real Madrid running out 4-2 winners over Girona at the Bernabeu. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for our live coverage once again. Until next time!
