Rodrygo’s Moment Steers Real Madrid Past Cacereño in Copa del Rey

Copa del Rey fixtures like Cacereño versus Real Madrid test the depth and professionalism of big clubs. In these games, the squad’s fringe players must justify their place, while the smaller teams aim to overturn expectations and prove a point. The visiting Blancos were not facing a peer opponent; this match, staged in Extremadura, showcased Rodrygo’s merit as a match-winner amid a disjointed performance from a Real Madrid side eager to assert its superiority.

Real Madrid did not hop off the bus the moment it rolled into Extremadura. Cacereño approached the game with intensity across the pitch, following the usual script of a lower-league side that dreams big by pressing high and striking early. They tested a Real Madrid XI that included players rotating into unfamiliar roles as the season began to unfold. At left-back, Odriozola spent the opening minutes adapting to a slightly different footwork pattern, while a series of sharp spins and quick transitions from the Extremaduran side kept the visitors wary. Across the field, six players with World Cup pedigree were on duty, including Militao, Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Hazard, Asensio, and Rodrygo, ensuring that even a forced reshuffle would be treated with respect.

The relentless high press from the second-division opponents underscored a flaw that Ancelotti’s squad could not ignore: collective cohesion. The home team believed every surge could grind down the more celebrated visitors, absorbing blows and insisting on a grind-it-out approach. Real Madrid looked like a group that hadn’t fully fused its pieces yet, with players unfamiliar with each other’s movements offering up hurried touches and misreads in dangerous zones. Only Dani Ceballos appeared to understand the tactical nuance required on a night when the match demanded individual brilliance amid team disorder. Like Militao at the back, he took command of a ship where several crew members wore unfamiliar faces and attempted to steer through rough waters. A forward surge from the home captain, Luis Telles, punctured the visitors’ defence in one notable moment, signaling that not everything would be easy for the defending champions.

As Cacereño gradually shed the image of a friendly adversary and pressed toward the end of the match, they monopolized possession and carved out several half-chances in the first half. Fouls interrupted the rhythm and left the Park of Prince Felipe with a green field marked by anxious moments. Lunin, the Real Madrid custodian, steadied the ship with composed handling on shots that threatened to surge the Extremaduran mood. He stood tall against a series of sustained pressures while Iván Moreno at the opposite end faced the challenge with equal resolve. Real Madrid’s forward thrusts remained mostly speculative from distance or through isolated forays in the box, with many attempts failing to hit the target cleanly. A notable moment occurred when a well-worked move concluded with a finish that was rightly disallowed for a clear offside by Marco Asensio.

Ancelotti needed a spark and promptly summoned a reshuffle that restored a sense of balance. He pulled from the bench to reinforce the forward line and solidity in the middle, bringing on fresh energy while preserving the core of the first-team group. The substitution pattern soon brought Rodrygo into a more prominent role, backed by Villareal’s Vallejo and the veteran defender Antonio Rüdiger. The integration of fresh legs helped Real Madrid regain a measure of control, even if it meant exposing certain positional weaknesses that an elite side must avoid in tighter fixtures. The tactical shift from Ancelotti ultimately sought to align the team’s attacking instincts with the defending discipline needed to survive a stubborn underdog onslaught.

JANEIRO’S SAMBA!

Rodrygo scores a stunning piece that unsettles Cacereño and breaks the deadlock for Real Madrid

20 minutes Copa del Rey LaCopaRTVE [citation: RTVE Sports]

– RTVE Sports [citation]

Yes, a shift began to spread across the field as the tie wore on. The match grew tense, and Real Madrid found a way to turn the pressure into a breakthrough moment. Rodrygo produced an intuitive, almost instinctive run that outpaced Clausí and Aguado, cleared the mud with a composed finish into the top corner, and reminded everyone of the class that sets the best apart in knockout football. The Brazilian gave a glimpse of the kind of individual inspiration that Hazard had not delivered in years, creating a pathway for Álvaro Rodríguez to come on and contribute in a different way. It was a small triumph for a team trying to balance ambition with a plan B, a reminder that a single act of quality can redefine a game within the longer arc of a season.

The manager’s options on the bench offered a practical alternative should the match demand more from the squad. The rotation of players show the depth of a club that faces a demanding schedule, with changes designed to maintain pace and intensity while preparing for the next challenge. The approach highlighted the delicate balance between keeping attackers fresh and keeping the defensive structure intact. In the end, Rodrygo’s decisive moment stood out as a vivid example of why the team keeps faith with its young, dynamic talent, even on nights shaped by fatigue and tactical uncertainty.

Data sheet:

0 – CP Selection: Ivan Moreno; Molina, Aguado, Martínez, Gomis (Pedro, min. 82); Telles (Bermu, min.75), Clausí; Iván Fernández (Garci, min. 72), Manchón, Carmelo (Karim, min. 46); and Grande (Solano, min. 72)

1 – Real Madrid: Lunin; Lucas Vázquez, Nacho, Militao (Rüdiger, min. 46), Odriozola (Vallejo, min. 51); Ceballos, Tchoaumeni (Valverde, min. 46), Camavinga; Asensio (Arribas, min.81), Rodrygo and Hazard (Álvaro Rodríguez, min.68).

Goals: 0-1, 69 minutes. Rodrygo.

Judge: Cuadra Fernández (C. Balearic Islands). He warned Samu Manchón (min.28), Iván Fernández (min.66), Telles (min.74), Bermu (min.78), Pedro (min.88) and Tchoaumeni (min.27) for Cacereño, and Camavinga for Real Madrid (min. 88).

Stadium: Prince Philip.