Madrid thrash Zaragoza to make Copa del Rey quarters

MADRID: Real Madrid made it 20 games unbeaten by thrashing Real Zaragoza 4-0 on Wednesday to ease into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Raphael Varane, Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema all scored at La Romareda, where Madrid were again without injured duo Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard, while Benzema only came on as a late substitute.

Victor Fernandez made eight changes to his starting line-up, which included a 30-year-old Shinji Kagawa, once of Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United. Zidane, meanwhile, gave run-outs to Vinicius, Luka Jovic, Vazquez and James Rodriguez. Thibaut Courtois was rested and Alphonse Areola picked in goal.

Zaragoza’s chances of an upset were dealt a blow in the sixth minute when Toni Kroos exchanged a short corner with Dani Carvajal before crossing through a cluster of bodies to an unmarked Varane at the back post. Kroos teed up the second too as Vazquez darted into the area and drilled into the top corner.

Zaragoza kept pushing and even threatened on the break but two goals in seven minutes gave Madrid’s win a harsher edge. Vinicius chipped in after a neat one-two with James and then Benzema, on in the 73rd minute, scored in the 79th, tapping in Carjaval’s cross for a fourth.