Marco Asensio’s late winner lifts Real in Copa first leg at Leganes

Madrid : Marco Asensio’s late strike earned Real Madrid a 1-0 first-leg lead in their Copa del Rey quarterfinal with Leganes.

Mateo Kovavic spurned a great opportunity for Real, whose goalkeeper Kiko Casilla made a good save to deny Claudio Beauvue after 75 minutes.

And Real took advantage after 89 minutes when Theo Hernandez’s cross was met by Asensio’s fine volley from six yards out.

The win at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque in the outskirts of Madrid gives Real an advantage ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg at the Bernabeu and will come as a relief after recent results.

It was only Real’s second win of 2018 and the first came in the same competition, a 3-0 victory at Numancia on Jan. 4.

Zinedine Zidane’s men next play Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday in LaLiga, where they sit an unfamiliar fourth, 19 points behind leaders Barcelona and 10 adrift of second-placed Atletico.

Real head coach Zidane selected only Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane of his first-team regulars to face their fellow La Liga outfit.