In Spain, the quarterfinal stage of the King's Cup started on Wednesday, where the first six matches were played. The tournament champions, the Barcelona footballers, clashed with their city rivals Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium. The fierce Barca opponents took the lead at the beginning of the match, but the hosts did not break and celebrated an easy victory with a score of 4-1. Espanyol took the lead in the 9th minute, but before the end of the first half, Lionel Messi managed to change the score in their favor. At the beginning of the second half, Gerard Pique increased the advantage, and Neymar sealed the deal in the 88th minute. As if that weren't enough - Espanyol had to finish the match without two players, who received red cards. Both Barcelona newcomers made their debut in this match. Arda Turan played from the very beginning and was substituted in the 68th minute, while Aleix Vidal stepped onto the field a minute earlier, replacing the Turk in the 67th minute. In other matches, Bilbao Athletic, Valencia, and Sevilla also celebrated victories, while the match between Mirandes and Deportivo La Coruna ended in a draw. In the last evening match, two Madrid teams clashed - Rayo Vallecano and Atletico. Diego Simeone's students failed to return with a victory, and the first leg ended in a draw of 1-1.
