Real Madrid survived a late scare to edge past Talavera de la Reina 3–2 in a dramatic Copa del Rey round-of-32 clash at Estadio El Prado on Wednesday night. Kylian Mbappé scored twice for the visitors, who were pushed all the way by a spirited Talavera side that struck twice in the closing stages.
After dominating the early exchanges, Real Madrid took the lead in the 41st minute when Mbappé converted from the penalty spot following a handball by Marcos Moreno. The visitors doubled their advantage just before the break as Manu Farrando inadvertently turned Mbappé’s effort into his own net in first-half stoppage time, sending Madrid into the interval with a 2–0 lead.
Talavera rallied after the restart and were rewarded late on. Nahuel Arroyo pulled one back in the 80th minute with a close-range finish after a cross from Manu Farrando, raising hopes of an upset. However, those hopes were dented eight minutes later when Mbappé struck again in the 88th minute, lashing home to restore Madrid’s two-goal cushion. Talavera refused to fold, and Gonzalo Di Renzo set up a tense finale by scoring in added time (90+1) after a free kick rebounded off the wall, but Real Madrid held on to book their place in the next round.
Despite the defeat, Talavera earned plaudits for their resilience against top-flight opposition, while Real Madrid progress after a nervy finish in a memorable cup tie.
