An inexistent penalty (ANOTHER ONE) and two rebound goals qualify Madrid for the Cup

Real Madrid secured their ticket to the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, but did so with a performance far from the expected solidity against a lower-tier opponent. At the El Prado stadium, Xabi Alonso's team needed luck and a highly controversial refereeing performance to win 2-3 against Talavera de la Reina, second to last in their group in Primera RFEF.

The final score does not reflect the real suffering of the Whites, who saw the Manchego team come close to extra time in the final stretch of the match. Only Lunin's decisive intervention in added time prevented an even more compromising outcome for a Madrid side that leaves classified, but with more doubts than certainties.

An imaginary penalty for Madrid sets the course of the match

Talavera vs Real Madrid fans - (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The key moment of the match arrived in the 40th minute, when Guillermo Cuadra Fernández pointed to a penalty for Real Madrid for an alleged handball by Marcos Moreno. The images clearly show how the ball bounces off the Talavera player's head before hitting his arm, in an unavoidable and unintentional action.

Without VAR in this phase of the competition, the decision was irreversible and Kylian Mbappé converted the penalty. The play unleashed local indignation and ignited the stands, where the usual chant of "that's how Madrid wins" was heard loudly, this time against a Primera RFEF team.

Rebound Goals and an Outstanding Local Goalkeeper

Beyond the penalty, Real Madrid also found the net through luck. Shortly after the 1-0, a cross from Mbappé ended up deflecting off Farrando into his own goal, extending a lead that did not correspond to what was seen on the pitch.

Despite the result, the main protagonist of the match was the local goalkeeper **Jaime González**, a native of Castelldefels, who delivered an outstanding performance with saves of merit against **Mbappé, Endrick**, and two free kicks from **Arda Güler**. Only a shot from the Frenchman, in the second half, surprised him to establish the 1-3 score.

Talavera Nearly Forces Extra Time, Leaving Many Doubts for Madrid

Far from surrendering, Talavera put on a memorable night. Goals from Nahuel Arroyo and Di Renzo brought the excitement back to the match and put a Real Madrid side, at times outplayed, especially in the final stretch, on the ropes. In added time, Lunin had to make a great save from Isaía's shot to prevent extra time

Real Madrid advances to the next round, but does so leaving an unsettling feeling: qualification achieved, yes, but sustained by luck, refereeing, and individual talent, not by the collective dominance expected of a title contender.