Abidal grabs Cup winner for Barca at Real

Reuters: Eric Abidal netted a rare but superbly-taken goal to give Barcelona a 2-1 comeback win at holders Real Madrid in a King’s Cup quarter-final first leg on Wednesday as Pep Guardiola’s side tightened their stranglehold over their rivals.

The France fullback, who extended his contract with the Spanish and European champions on Monday, galloped on to a floated Lionel Messi pass 13 minutes from time and calmly slotted past Iker Casillas to give the 2011 runners-up the advantage for next week’s second leg in Barcelona.

Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo had put the home side ahead with a breakaway goal in the 11th minute before Barca captain Carles Puyol flung himself at Xavi’s corner to power a header past Spain team mate Casillas for a 49th-minute equaliser.

“We won this game but we have to be careful in the return match because that’s going to be another tough test,” Abidal, whose goal was only the fourth of his career, said in a television interview.

“I seem to be a Cup player,” the 32-year-old former Olympique Lyon player added. “I scored in the Cup back in France and I seem to be doing it again in Spain.”

The winners of the tie will face Valencia or their city neighbours Levante, who play their quarter-final first leg on Thursday.

On the other side of the draw, headers from the towering Fernando Llorente and the diminutive Iker Muniain gave Athletic Bilbao a 2-0 win at home to Real Mallorca in their last-eight first leg earlier on Wednesday.

If the Basques can hold on in Mallorca next week they will play 2006 champions Espanyol or third-tier Mirandes, who are through to the quarters for the first time.



Mirandes stunned Espanyol by opening a two-goal lead in their first leg on Tuesday before the home side struck three times in four minutes late on to secure a 3-2 lead for the second leg in Miranda de Ebro.