Castilla sneak into Premier League International Cup quarters without kicking a ball
Real Madrid's B team progress as Monaco fail to win their final group game, joining Athletic and Valencia as Spanish representatives in the last eight.
Real Madrid Castilla have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Premier League International Cup without even playing a match, thanks to results elsewhere.
How they made it through
The good news for Madrid’s reserve side came all the way from Wolverhampton, where the local lads did Castilla a massive favour by defeating Monaco. The result means Real Madrid’s youngsters have qualified for the last eight of this prestigious youth tournament, which pits English academy teams against their European counterparts.
Castilla needed Monaco to drop points in their final group match (which had been postponed earlier due to snow) to secure their place among the elite eight. Wolves, who Castilla had previously beaten 1-0 thanks to a stunning Bruno Iglesias free-kick, showed no mercy to the French side and became unexpected allies in Madrid’s quarter-final quest.
What happens next?
The quarter-final draw will take place in late February, with the single-leg ties to be played in England in March. Castilla won’t be the only Spanish representatives flying the flag in Blighty - they’ll be joined by Athletic Club and Valencia who have also progressed.
The complete quarter-final lineup includes:
- Real Madrid Castilla
- Athletic Club
- Valencia
- Everton
- Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Dinamo Zagreb
- Borussia Dortmund
- Manchester United
New gaffer’s first test
This qualification provides new coach Julián López de Lerma with his first opportunity to manage in the competition. The previous four group matches were overseen by Álvaro Arbeloa before his promotion to the first team coaching staff.
Castilla have been proper Bobby Dazzlers in the tournament so far, qualifying as group runners-up with an unbeaten record - two wins (against Wolves and Everton) and two draws (against Southampton and Manchester City).
The chance to test themselves against some of Europe’s finest academy sides will be invaluable experience for Madrid’s youngsters as they continue their development pathway toward the Santiago Bernabéu first team.