The C.D. Leganés will meet this Saturday (20:00) the Sevilla F.C. for the first time in a qualifying round of the Copa de S.M. El Rey after the historic semifinal of the tournament that both played three seasons ago. A match that was the top of the pepineros in the competition in its 92 years of history.
C.D. Leganés had achieved its best participation in the K.O. tournament in the 2000/01 season, when it had reached the round of 16 as a Second Division team and only fell to R.C. Celta, who were competing in European competitions that season, winning, insufficiently, in Balaídos in the second roung.
Real Valladolid, Villarreal C.F. and Real Madrid, in the historic 'pepinazo' fell in the previous rounds
With the promotion to the maximum category, the cup format allowed the pepineros to begin their journey in the tournament in the sixteenth final. Thus, in the 2017/18 season Leganés started the Cup against a Real Valladolid who was playing in the Second Division. The blue and white team won the first round 1-2 in Zorrilla with goals by Rico and Beauvue, and did the same in the second round (1-0) with a goal by Tito.
The difficulty increased in the round of sixteen, the ceiling until then of a Leganés who was playing against Villarreal C.F., a team that played in the Europa League. Asier Garitano's team achieved a valuable winning at home (1-0) thanks to a goal by Amrabat, which would be worth, not without suffering, a week later in Villarreal thanks to the 2-1, with a goal by El Zhar, which put them in the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.
There, the draw paired Leganes with Real Madrid, reigning champions of La Liga and the Champions League. After an evenly matched first-round match, the Whites went ahead of Butarque (0-1) but the pepineros were going to cause a worldwide surprise by winning at the Santiago Bernabéu (1-2) and eliminating the Madrid players at home for the first time in their history after winning the first round. The goals of Eraso and Gabriel are part of the history of Leganes.
Siovas' goal in Butarque made Leganes dream of the final
The last step before the final was the Sevilla F.C. A rival that was playing the Champions League and wanted to stand in the final cup. Butarque was living a historical day, with the stands full of people in the night of that 31st of January 2018. Asier Garitano was lining up: Champagne; Tito, Bustinza, Siovas, Raúl Carnero; Brasanac, Gumbau; El Zhar, Gabriel, Amrabat; and Beauvue. Eraso, Omar Ramos and Diego Rico were on the bench during the match.
Sevilla, more expert in these matters, was going to take the lead in the first half thanks to a goal by Muriel. But Leganés was not going to fall apart, and Siovas, after a set-piece action, scored the equalizer that left the pepineros with options for the return. However, the Sevillistas were going to make their handling worthwhile at this stage of the competition to win 2-0 and get into the final.
Thus ended an unforgettable journey for Leganés in the Copa del Rey, which will relive this Saturday, still in the sixteenth final and far from those semifinals three years ago, in Butarque again against Sevilla FC.
