Leganes keep Copa del Rey dream alive in first-leg draw with Sevilla

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:35 am

Sevilla and Leganes players battle for the ball in a 1-1 Copa del Rey draw on Wednesday.
Sevilla and Leganes players battle for the ball in a 1-1 Copa del Rey draw on Wednesday.
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MADRID -- Leganes boosted their chances of reaching the Copa del Rey final for the first time by salvaging a 1-1 draw against Sevilla on Wednesday, netting the equaliser after a mistake by Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

Sevilla opened the scoring in the first leg with Luis Muriel after a counter-attack midway through the first half at Butarque Stadium, but the hosts evened the match shortly after half-time. Rico missed the ball while trying to punch it away just in front of goal, allowing defender Dimitris Siovas to easily find the net with a header.

Rico complained of a foul after apparent contact with Siovas.

Leganes, a club based just south of Madrid, eliminated Real Madrid in the quarterfinals. It had never reached the last eight of the Copa in the team's 89-year history.

Sevilla, a five-time Copa winner, are trying to return to the final for the first time since being beaten by Barcelona in 2016.