Cultural Leonesa 2-1 Atletico Madrid: La Liga giants suffer shock Copa del Rey exit
Spanish third-tier side Cultural Leonesa dump Diego Simeone's side out of cup competition
Friday 24 January 2020 00:23, UK
Atletico Madrid's disappointing season hit a new low with a 2-1 loss to third division club Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.
Atletico relinquished a late lead and then conceded early in extra-time to be eliminated in the competition's round of 32.
The Madrid-based club have not been eliminated this early in the Copa since losing to Albacete at this stage in 2011-12, just before they hired coach Diego Simeone. That was the last time Atletico fell to a third-division club in the competition.
Cultural Leonesa's French goalkeeper Lucas Giffard made a series of outstanding saves throughout the match, before Sergio Bonito scored an 108th-minute winner to put the small club from the north-western city of Leon into the last 16 for the first time since the 1959/60 season.
The crowd of nearly 13,000 at the Reino de Leon Stadium erupted after Benito scored from inside the area after the Atletico defence was caught out of position following a fast breakaway.
Angel Correa had given Atletico the lead with a left-footed shot from near the penalty spot after a nice one-touch pass by Joao Felix in the 62nd minute.
The hosts equalised with an 83rd-minute volley by Julen Castaeda after Atletico goalkeeper Antonio Adan couldn't fully clear a cross into the area before Bonito struck the winner in extra-time.
"We have no other option other than to keep working," Simeone said afterwards. "I have a great squad and the results will come soon."
