In the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid had a tough time but ultimately defeated third-division Talavera 3-2. Kylian Mbappé scored a brace. He converted a penalty in the 41st minute and sealed the victory late in the second half with a long-range strike. This was his 10th goal in his last six matches across all competitions for Madrid. The French star also participated in the play that led to an own goal by Manuel Farrando in first-half stoppage time. "The third goal was key, very important, and that's why (Mbappé) was in the starting lineup and we kept him on the pitch," said Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso. Talavera narrowed the deficit with goals from Nahuel Arroyo in the 80th minute and Gonzalo Di Renzo in second-half stoppage time. However, the 'merengue' team held on to avoid a shock result that would have put Alonso under greater pressure following a recent run of disappointing results.
