Unionistas 1-3 Real Madrid: Brahim Diaz stars to help Blancos avoid Copa shock

Real Madrid won 3-1 but were given a scare by minnows Unionistas in an entertaining Copa del Rey last-32 tie.

Match Report

Alvaro Romero scored one of the solo goals of the season against Real Madrid, and little Unionistas de Salamanca were in dreamland on the hour mark of this Copa del Rey culture clash.

Madrid, thanks to Gareth Bale, a Juan Gongora own goal and Brahim Diaz's late individual effort, eventually won 3-1 at the tiny Las Pistas stadium, where 4,000 supporters of a club that has only existed since 2013 saw their side go head to head with the 13-time European champions.

Yet Romero's stunning effort after 57 minutes will live far longer in the memory than the goals that won the day for Madrid.

The substitute had been on the field barely a minute when he ran from just inside Madrid's half to the edge of the penalty area before curling a fine left-footed finish out of the reach of Alphonse Areola.

That brought Unionistas level, following Bale's first-half effort, but parity was all too brief, with the 62nd-minute own goal and Diaz's neat stoppage-time finish deciding the day, the Segunda B minnows just edged out by their millionaire visitors.

Match Events

18' GOAL! Unionistas 0-1 Real Madrid (Bale)

Marcelo fires a dangerous cross in from deep and Gongora is back to head it off the line. However, it only gets as far as Bale who takes a touch in the box and bobbles it into the net at the near post. 

Bale modestly celebrates with his teammates.

36' CLOSE! James hits the bar

Casemiro sends the Colombian into the box and he goes for goal from a tight angle. It thuds back into play off the crossbar.

57' GOAL! Unionistas 1-1 Real Madrid (Romero)

The third-division side from Salamanca have equalised! Militao slips at a crucial moment and Romero races through on goal. No one in mint green closes him down and the substitute smashes the ball past Areola!

62' OWN GOAL! Unionistas 1-2 Real Madrid (Gongora)

Marcelo is free on the overlap and crosses in. It rolls through to the far post where Diaz slips. Gongora sticks a foot out in a bid to keep it out but only manages to put it into his own net.

92' GOAL! Unionistas 1-3 Real Madrid (Brahim)

The winger skips past the attentions of Gongora and Romero to get into the box and lashes past Pereiro into the far bottom corner.

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