VAR controversy as Atletico beat battling Sevilla in cup thriller

Atlético Madrid booked their place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Thursday, thanks to a late goal from substitute Memphis Depay to defeat Sevilla 1-0. In the 79th minute, Depay prodded home a ball slid across the box by fellow substitute Ángel Correa to break the deadlock in a tightly contested match at the Metropolitano stadium.

Both sides had their chances in an intense Cup tie, with Antoine Griezmann skying a first-half penalty for Atlético. Sevilla defended resiliently and nearly equalised late on through Sergio Ramos, but his close-range effort went over the bar. In stoppage time, Sevilla appealed vigorously for a penalty after Atlético’s Rodrigo de Paul appeared to trip Erik Lamela in the area, but after a VAR review, the decision was reversed.

The match was preceded by a moment of silence honouring three Sevilla supporters who were killed in a traffic accident travelling to Madrid Thursday morning. Quique Sánchez Flores’ struggling La Liga side started brightly but could not find a way through against Diego Simeone’s typically stubborn defence. Simeone shook things up with a double substitution on 66 minutes, bringing on Depay and Correa who would eventually combine for the winner.

After the final whistle, Sevilla players angrily remonstrated with referee Jesús Gil Manzano over his decision to overturn the late penalty claim. Simeone’s changes paid dividends as Atlético clinched a hard-fought victory to continue their Copa del Rey campaign. They join fellow semi-finalists Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao and Real Mallorca in the final four.