Real Madrid took a big step towards the Copa del Rey semi-finals as they staged a late rally to beat Girona 4-2 in the first leg of their quarter-final clash at the Bernabeu.
Madrid recovered from an early goal by Anthony Lozano to take a 2-1 halftime lead thanks to a Lucas Vazquez strike and a cheeky 'Panenka' penalty from captain Sergio Ramos but were pegged back by Alex Granell's penalty midway through the second half.
Girona's joy at having a second away goal to take into next Thursday's second leg did not last long as defender Ramos struck for the second time by heading home from a corner to restore the stuttering European champions' lead in the 77th minute.
Karim Benzema then tapped the ball into the net at the near post to give Madrid a two-goal cushion in the 80th, increasing Santiago Solari's side's chances of reaching the last four of for the first time since they won the competition in 2014.
Real Madrid 4-2 Girona - as it happened
Additional reporting by Reuters.
