Angel Correa and Joao Felix struck to give out-of-form Atletico Madrid a 2-0 victory at fifth-tier Almazan to reach the Copa del Rey second round.
Atletico have not won in five LaLiga matches but a dominant first-half display saw Correa put them 1-0 up at the break when he took advantage of a mistake from Almazan goalkeeper Alberto Gonzalez.
Felix added a smart second after the break, beating his man before clinically firing into the back of the net to make the game safe.
Atletico consequently cruise into the next round of a competition they have won 10 times, though not since the 2012-13 season.
Correa had already tested Gonzalez by the time Marcos Llorente hit the crossbar with a bouncing effort after Antoine Griezmann's free-kick fell at this feet.
Koke's deflected shot also rattled the woodwork after more fine Griezmann work and Gonzalez made a superb stop to deny Llorente's low drive.
But Felix's long-range shot was too hot for Gonzalez to handle with Correa tapping in the rebound 10 minutes before the break.
Felix added a sublime second in the 63rd-minute, shifting onto his left foot outside the box before rifling into the bottom-right corner.
Griezmann thought he had added a third when he deftly steered home Nahuel Molina's cross, though the offside flag went up to curtail his celebrations.
Koke missed a great opportunity to round out the scoring late on, but he could only side-foot wide.
Manchester rivals suffer three o'clock woe
Manchester City and Manchester United both lost on Saturday, breaking a decade-old wait for the two rivals to fall to a defeat in a 3pm kick-off.
It is rare for both United and City to play in the traditional Saturday slot, but that was the case as Erik ten Hag's side hosted Crystal Palace and Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions headed to Wolves.
Yet neither team will be in a rush to remember this particular afternoon in a hurry, as they both lost in a 3pm Saturday kick-off for the first time since September 28, 2013.
United lost 1-0, with Joachim Andersen's goal making Roy Hodgson the first manager to go unbeaten in five successive Premier League trips to Old Trafford. City, meanwhile, went down 2-1 at Molineux, with Hwang Hee-chan getting the winner for Wolves.
No Rodri, big problems
City lost to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday and, without star midfielder Rodri – who was serving the second of a three-match suspension for the red card he received against Nottingham Forest – they found themselves on the end of a defeat again at Wolves.
Since Rodri made his Premier League debut in August 2019, City have lost five of 15 matches without the Spaniard in the competition (W9 D1); by contrast, they have lost just five of their last 67 league games when Rodri has featured (W53 D9).
Bucks confident of returning to the top after Lillard trade
Damian Lillard will be tasked with helping the Milwaukee Bucks return to the top of the NBA after his trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Star guard Lillard signed for the Bucks on Wednesday in a three-way trade – which also included the Phoenix Suns – that saw Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara on the move too.
Lillard leaves Portland after 11 years with the Trail Blazers. He is a seven-time All-Star and enjoyed a career-best season in 2022-23, averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists, though he did sit out the final month of the season due to injury.
Now, the Bucks – the 2021 NBA Champions – will be hoping that Lillard can combine with two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to push them towards another title, following a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat in last season's playoffs.
Fast Fact
Despite missing the last 10 games of the season, Lillard (1,866) was Portland's highest points scorer last term by over 500, with Anfernee Simons next best for the Trail Blazers with 1,306.
Lillard a difference-maker
"His character, competitiveness, talent and experience complement our group and gives us the best chance to win at the very highest level as we create new memories together," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said of Lillard.
So, does Lillard have what it takes to make the difference for the Bucks?
Lillard leaves Portland as a franchise great. He ranks first in team history in points and three-pointers and second in assists. Including the playoffs, he had 17 games with 50+ points for the Blazers. All other players in franchise history have only combined for seven 50-point games. He is a big-game player, and he should help ease the burden on Antetokounmpo.
‘Upset and angry’ Real Madrid look to get back on track after derby defeat
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti shrugged off any criticism from Sunday’s derby defeat as his “upset and angry” team look for an immediate response against Las Palmas.
Los Blancos lost 3-1 to city rivals Atletico on Sunday after opening the season with six straight wins in all competitions.
That was only the second time in 15 LaLiga clashes that Real had been beaten by Atletico and they host Las Palmas on Wednesday having dropped to third in the table, trailing Barcelona and Girona by a point.
“It’s normal when you’re the Real Madrid coach to receive criticism if things don’t go well. It doesn’t affect me,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“I have to assess what we did well, which is a lot, as well as the things we didn’t do so well against Atletico, which are few. The evaluation I make is different to everyone else’s.
“The players and I are aware of what we have to do better, considering that up until now we have done well, and we must carry on doing well by improving what we didn’t get right against Atletico.
“I could have done better, maybe. That’s quite clear. When the team doesn’t do the right thing it’s my responsibility. But I’ve got broad shoulders, it’s not a problem.
“We’d only conceded three goals in six games and in 45 minutes we’ve conceded three goals. We were weak. It’s fair to say that. It wasn’t a good night.
“Every system has its weaknesses. There’s no perfect system. We’ve got experienced and very reliable players.
“It’s a setback that could provide us with an opportunity to do things better. We’re upset and angry, as we always are when we lose. But we’ve done very well so far and we’ll continue to do well.”
Las Palmas sit 15th in the table having lost all of their three away games this term but Ancelotti remains cautious
“Every team has its strengths and features. Las Palmas play good football and like to control the ball,” said the former Chelsea manager. “As for us, we want to get back to winning ways and bounce back quickly after Sunday’s defeat.
“We have to go into games with a different mindset, given that we’ve been hurt a number of times in the opening minutes.”
Dani Carvajal, Vinicius Jr and Arda Guler are available again for Ancelotti after missing the derby but the boss remains unsure how much of a part they will play.
He added: “They’re all available and that’s very good news. I have to assess whether to give them minutes from the start or throughout the game.”
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