Madrid rallies to beat Malaga 3-2 in Copa del Rey
Mark Walsh, Associated Press, Madrid | Wed, 01/04/2012 6:51 AM
Defending champion Real Madrid staged a second-half fightback to beat Malaga 3-2 in their Copa del Rey first-leg match on Tuesday.
Sergio Sanchez and Martin Demichelis gave Malaga the lead with almost identical headers inside the first half-hour at Bernabeu Stadium, but Sami Khedira got Madrid's comeback started with a goal in the 68th minute and Gonzalo Higuain hauled Madrid level two minutes later.
After relentless pressure, Karim Benzema slid home the winner in the 78th.
Also, third-tier Mirandes claimed a 2-0 home win against topflight Racing Satander, second-tier Alcorcon had a 2-1 home victory against top division club Levante, and third-tier Albacete drew 0-0 with Athletic Bilbao.
