Munir settles the cup pass in the final play of extra time
UD Las Palmas reached their third round of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday by eliminating CD Tudelano, a rival that gave their all in their stronghold to complicate matters for the players from Gran Canaria. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and it was resolved in extra time where Garcia Pimienta's players managed to establish the definitive 1-2 in the last play of the night, following a counterattack launched by Moleiro and finished by Munir.
The coach of the Gran Canarian team completely revamped the starting eleven for the Cup match compared to the team that defeated Getafe days ago. In that starting lineup was Las Palmas Atlético defender Juanma Herzog, the sole addition from the reserve team.
The game responded from the outset to the audacity of an open Cup clash. In set-piece plays, Tudelano approached with intentions to open the scoring. Although the best chance in those early minutes was for Marc Cardona, with a shot against the Navarre post in the 7th minute.
Aarón Escandell was kept busy, facing a rival that already showed their cup intentions. The yellow goalkeeper parried committed shots from Mario and Irurita, who exploited defensive disarray to shoot within the box.
Tudelano had the virtue of making the UD Las Palmas block uncomfortable, yet they managed to take the lead after the first half-hour. In a swift offensive combination, Sory Kaba beat goalkeeper Pablo García and put the visiting team ahead.
The scenario could have changed, but the response from the Navarre side was almost immediate. Four minutes later, the referee signaled a penalty for a defensive action by Pejiño on Colau. The 1-1 was converted from the penalty spot by Joel Rodríguez.
The complexion of the game changed in many aspects during the second half. Las Palmas couldn't find their best form but succeeded in keeping the ball away from Escandell's area. Simultaneously, they tested the reflexes of goalkeeper Pablo García, with shots from Benito and a header from Marc Cardona, both providing excellent opportunities to alter the score again.
There were no further changes in the scoreline in the 97 minutes of regular play, leading to the match being extended with an extra 30-minute period. The yellow team then displayed their greater capacity and bench strength, with new interventions from the goalkeeper until Munir, in the final play, managed to score the winning goal, successfully culminating a counterattack.
Lineups:
CD Tudelano: Pablo García, Mario (Iván Martínez, 97), Borja, Mikel Santamaría, Ramón Riego, Álvaro, Sito Barrera, Irurita, Santigosa (Luis Carbonell, 85), Colau, and Joel (Gio Simeone, 97)
UD Las Palmas: Escandell, Benito, Álex Suárez (Moleiro, 90), Juanma Herzog, Sinkgraven (Munir, 79), Mfulu (Coco, 91), Perrone (Loiodice, 71), Pejiño (Marvin Park, 71), Cristian Herrera, Marc Cardona (Araujo, 91), and Sory Kaba
Goals: 0-1, 37th minute. Sory Kaba. 1-1, 41st minute. Joel Rodríguez, penalty. 1-2, 120th minute. Munir.
Referee: Juan Munuera Martínez (Valencian College). Showed yellow cards to Colau, Riego (Tudelano), Escandell, Álex Suárez, and Marc Cardona (Las Palmas). Also to the home coach, Riera