Gareth Bale's penalty set Real Madrid on their way to an ultimately comfortable 3-0 win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie at Numancia, while Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw as the La Liga giants rested their stars
Gareth Bale
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Gareth Bale's penalty set Real Madrid on their way to an ultimately comfortable 3-0 win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie at Numancia, while Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw as the La Liga giants rested their stars.
Bale, playing in a Real side made up largely of fringe players, converted coolly from the spot 10 minutes before half-time to notch his first goal in domestic competition since September.
They survived a serious scare in the 76th minute when Inigo Perez snatched the ball from Marcos Llorente and launched a 40-yard shot over the head of keeper Kiko Cassila that thumped the crossbar and came agonisingly close to crossing the line.
Real sealed the win with another spot kick a minute from the end, again won by Vasquez but this time slammed home by substitute Isco, and Baroja Mayoral completed the rout a minute later with a close range header.
Barca took the lead after 15 minutes through a neat Jose Arnaiz finish, but after a bright start they ceded control to the hosts.
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