LA stoppage-time header from 20-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia secured Real Madrid a dramatic 3-2 victory over Leganes in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
Real Madrid raced into a two-goal lead early in the first half, with Luka Modric opening the scoring in the 17th minute before Brazilian youngster Endrick doubled the advantage eight minutes later.
Leganes, however, clawed their way back into the contest when Juan Cruz calmly converted a penalty in the 39th minute after Real defender Jacobo Ramon was penalized for a handball.
Cruz struck again in the 59th minute to bring the match level. His shot took a wicked deflection off Ferland Mendy, leaving Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin stranded as the ball rolled into the net.
With a LaLiga derby against Atletico Madrid looming on Saturday and a Champions League playoff clash with Manchester City next week, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti opted to rotate his squad.
Notable absentees included Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, and Thibaut Courtois.
Defensive concerns piled up for Real, as Dani Carvajal was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury, while Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and David Alaba were also unavailable.
Ancelotti handed first senior starts to 20-year-old Jacobo Ramon and fellow academy graduate Raul Asencio.
The young defensive pair struggled early on, allowing Leganes to threaten through Diego Garcia and Oscar Rodriguez, forcing Lunin into two critical saves in the opening minutes.
However, Real gradually settled into the game, with Endrick constantly troubling the opposition defense.
Modric’s composed finish from inside the box gave Madrid the lead, and Endrick pounced on a rebound to make it 2-0 shortly after.
Despite Real’s dominance, a defensive error by Ramon handed Leganes a lifeline just before halftime, with Cruz making no mistake from the spot.
Ancelotti introduced Vinicius Jr in the second half to regain control. However, the Brazilian missed a golden opportunity from close range, while Endrick also squandered another chance to extend Madrid’s lead.
Leganes capitalized on the missed opportunities when Cruz’s deflected shot leveled the game.
With extra-time looming, substitute Brahim Diaz made a surging run down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross to Garcia, who soared above his marker to head home the winner in the 93rd minute.
It was a moment of magic for the young forward, who celebrated his first senior goal by sending Real Madrid into the semi-finals.
