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January 12, 2012

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Real boosted by keeper's howler

DEFENDING champion Real Madrid was helped into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals by a goalkeeping howler from Malaga's Willy Caballero on Tuesday which gifted it a 1-0 away win.

In the 71st minute, the match was goalless and tense with big-spending Malaga, which lost 2-3 at the Bernabeu, needing to score only one to go through on the away goals rule when Real substitute Karim Benzema fired tamely straight at Caballero.

The Argentine keeper had made some impressive saves, but when he fell to his knees to collect, the ball squirmed between his legs and rolled over the line.

Jose Mourinho's men are likely to meet archrival Barcelona in the last eight, with the European and Spanish champion visiting Osasuna today holding a 4-0 first-leg advantage. Real will be joined in the quarterfinals by surprise qualifiers Real Mallorca and third tier Mirandes.

Mallorca scored four times in seven minutes during an astonishing comeback to knock out Real Sociedad 6-3 on aggregate earlier in the evening.

The Basques led 2-0 from the first leg in San Sebastian last week and took the lead in Mallorca after 16 minutes, while disgruntled home fans whistled their own side.

Mallorca's four-goal blitz started out of nowhere when Uruguayan Gonzalo Castro scored from a freekick in the 34th.

Israel's Tomer Hemed cracked in a second two minutes later, Nunes headed in from a corner and seven breath-taking minutes after scoring his first, Castro racked up the fourth. He caught out visiting keeper Enaut Zubikarai as he rolled the ball in front of him, nipping up from behind to steal it and roll the ball into the empty net.

The flood of goals continued after halftime with Alfaro and Hemed bagging his second before the hour mark, with a dazed Sociedad unable to react.

Mirandes claimed the scalp of a second La Liga side when it drew 1-1 at Racing Santander to progress 3-1 on aggregate.

Racing took the lead through Pedro Munitis in the first half, but a red card for its defender Bernardo took the wind out of its sails and Pablo Infante won and then netted a late penalty to put the Segunda B side through.

 

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