Football wrap up

Barca survive early Copa scare

Champions Barcelona survived an early scare as they fought back to secure a 2-1 win at third-tier side Linares Deportivo in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday that sent them into the round of 16. Barca made the trip to Andalucia missing several players due to COVID-19 and injuries, but coach Xavi Hernandez still decided to rest some key names for the last-32 tie and they fell behind in the 19th minute to a Hugo Diaz header.

Madrid gain revenge over minnows

Real Madrid needed a lot of effort and a little luck as they won 3-1 at Alcoyano in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, with two late goals helping them gain revenge for their defeat to the third-tier side last year. It looked like deja-vu as Real Madrid returned to El Collao Stadium 12 months after being humiliated 2-1 by the same team, who hail from a small town close to Alicante.

Cagliari end long winless run at Samp

Cagliari ended an 11-match run without a Serie A win on Thursday after coming from behind to beat Sampdoria 2-1, while Inter Milan’s match at Bologna became the year’s first victim of a wave of coronavirus cases.

Blues dominate Spurs in Carabao semi first leg

Chelsea seized control of their Carabao Cup semifinal against Tottenham Hotspur, beating their London rivals 2-0 in the first leg on Wednesday thanks to an early strike by Kai Havertz and an own goal by Spurs defender Ben Davies.

The Blues swamped their visitors right from the kickoff and, after a mix-up in the Spurs defence in the fifth minute, Havertz fired an angled shot that was goal-bound before it went in off the foot of Davinson Sanchez.