BARCELONA: Atletico Madrid will face holders Real Madrid in the last 16 of the King’s Cup after a double from Mario Mandzukic sealed a 5-2 aggregate victory over lower league Hospitalet on Thursday.

Ruben Alcaraz got both goals for Hospitalet who drew 2-2 at the Calderon against an Atletico side with most of their regular players rested following a 3-0 first leg victory.

Mandzukic, who is suspended for the trip to Athletic Bilbao this weekend, pounced midway through the first half but Alcaraz brought the team from the Spanish third tier back on level terms with a deflected shot after 66 minutes.

The Croat restored Atletico’s lead with a diving header from a Koke cross before Alcaraz hit a swerving shot into the roof of the net to give some joy for the visitors.

Atletico now face Real, who beat them in the semi-finals last season, in the last 16.

Elsewhere, Malaga overcame Deportivo La Coruna 5-2 on aggregate, Athletic Bilbao beat Alcoyano 2-1 overall and Elche advanced after a 1-0 advantage from their two games against Valladolid.

Madrid: Atletico’s Mario Mandzukic heads the ball against Hospitalet’s Valentin (L) and Agustin during their King’s Cup match.—AP

JUVENTUS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS

MILAN: Juventus beat Cagliari 3-1 away on Thursday to end a three-match winless streak and move four points clear at the top of Serie A, while Napoli won 2-0 at home to Parma to go third.

After drawing with Fiorentina and Sampdoria in Serie A either side of a 0-0 stalemate with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Juventus took an early lead through Carlos Tevez after three minutes.

Arturo Vidal doubled the advantage 12 minutes later and Fernando Llorente added another five minutes after the break, before Luca Rossettini grabbed a consolation for Cagliari.

Juve are top with 39 points from 16 games, four ahead of second place AS Roma, who play at AC Milan on Saturday, with Napoli third on 27.

Zdenek Zeman’s Cagliari are third from bottom with 12 points.

Duvan Zapata opened the scoring for Napoli with a wonderful goal after 19 minutes from a cross by Christian Maggio and Dries Mertens converted a penalty 11 minutes later following a foul by Massimo Gobbi on Jose Callejon.

Parma are rooted to the foot of the table with six points.

Juventus play Napoli in the Italian Super Cup final in Doha on Monday. Juventus have won the trophy six times, while Napoli’s only success in the competition came in 1990 with Argentina great Diego Maradona on the pitch.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2014