Atleti win a free-kick centrally in the opposition half. It's one last chance to snatch a late, late winner. The ball is whipped wide, and eventually comes back into the centre, where Torres tries a spectacular bicycle kick. His contact is scruffy though, and the keeper scrambles across to hold on.
90'
Saul tries a neat flick to send a team-mate through, but it's intercepted and Elche break themselves. Neither side truly look like snatching a winner here, but if anyone is going to do it, they have just three minutes left.
89'
Elche are clearly tiring now, as several of their players are being treated for cramp in the brief natural stoppages of the game.
87'
Jeers and whistles from the home fans as Kaba goes down in the Atletico box holding his knee, but Atletico play on, desperate for a late winner.
85'
CHANCE! Atletico are throwing men forward in search of a winner, and Gaitan's cross very nearly finds Torres in the box, but it's just blocked behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.
81'
Vietto tries to find Torres in the middle from the left byline, but it's a little too far ahead of him and Elche clear for a corner, which they then scramble clear.
80'
Hernandez takes the sting out of a dangerous-looking Elche attack as he races away with the ball before drawing a foul.
78'
Moya has to punch an Elche corner clear, and eventually Atleti regroup and take hold of possession. They have a little over 10 minutes to find a winner.
76'
Tekio enters the game and replaces Javi Flores.
Flores goes off to be replaced by Tekio.
CHANCE! Well! Atletico find themselves under the cosh a little here. A cross from the right is flicked towards the far post by Verdu, but Moya manages to tip it around the post, and takes a kick from a team-mate in the process.
75'
Saúl gets yellow.
Hernandez makes a surging run through the heart of the Elche defence, and bursts into the box before going down. Any penalty appeals are waved away by the referee though, who isn't interested.
Yellow card Saúl Ñíguez Esclapez
Minute
Description
72'
CHANCE! Diego Simeone does not look happy on the Atleti bench as Elche fire one invitingly across the face of goal, but nobody is there to get a touch! His side just switched off for a second there - something their manager does not tolerate.
71'
Atletico seize a loose pass out from the back, but then play a loose one themselves as they try to break forward with haste.
69'
E. Lavsamba enters the game and replaces Manolín.
Samba comes on to replace Manolin.
68'
CHANCE! Saul certainly isn't holding back against Elche, as he produces a rasping drive from 25 yards that fizzes just wide of the far post. Tremendous effort from the midfielder.
67'
Román Golobart gets yellow.
Golobart is booked for an overzealous challenge.
66'
Vrsaljko is found on the right after making a fantastic run, but he's gone just a fraction too early and is caught offside.
62'
CHANCE! Vietto has now missed a hat-trick of chances!!! Torres is dumped on the turf but manages to play his strike partner in behind the defence. He races clear with just the advancing goalkeeper to beat, but pokes his shot wide of the post! Really, really poor from Vietto, who could have had at least a goal or two by now, and should have put his team into the lead there.
59'
Saúl enters the game and replaces T. Partey.
Toni Moya enters the game and replaces K. Bare.
The other goalscorer leaves the field as Thomas is replaced by Saúl, who comes on against his beloved Elche.
Youngster Bare is replaced after a relatively quiet showing and Moya comes on for him.
57'
Benja enters the game and replaces Lolo Plá.
Shortly after Elche converted their penalty, Atletico have a penalty shout of their own as Vietto was upended in the box! The referee saw nothing wrong with the challenge, however, and waved play on.
Goalscorer Plá is removed for Benja. An odd decision, considering his contribution. Perhaps there was an injury involved, or maybe they are just trying to settle for a draw here?
56'
Diego Benito gets yellow.
Benito is booked for a rash challenge.
54'
Gonzalo Verdú gets yellow.
Verdú is booked as Vietto gets away and is fouled on the edge of the box. Gaitan's effort from the resulting free-kick is poor though, and goes straight into the wall.
52'
Penalty goal scored by Lolo Plá for Elche!
GOAL! Plá dusts himself off to take the spot-kick, and converts it so, so coolly. He slides it nonchalantly down the middle without turning a hair, as Moya dives desperately to his right.
51'
PENALTY! Elche win a penalty! Pla races into the area and is felled by a reckless challenge from Hernandez! Clear penalty.
49'
CHANCE! Elche appeal for a penalty as Kaba dances into the area and - surrounded - eventually goes to ground. The referee is having none of it though and Atletico look dangerous on the counter, before Golobart snuffs it out.
48'
Elche have started this half positively, and have enjoyed a brief spell of possession. Turining that possession into chances against this Atletico team, however, is another story.
46'
Elche get us back underway for the second half!
Almost immediately, they win a free-kick on the right in the Atleti half. It comes to nothing, but the hosts keep the pressure on.
45'
CHANCE! And push forward they do! A Sanchez cross into the box deceives both Atletico centre-backs and Pla heads well, but just over the top!
44'
Elche get a rare sight of the Atletico goal, but their final ball is poor and is cleared with relative ease. They seem determined to push forward more in the closing stages of the half though.
41'
CHANCE! And the action is back! Gaitan - who had drifted infield, skips past a couple of challenges and dinks a lovely ball to the back post for Torres to attack. He meets it well with his head, but somehow, the keeper manages to get across in time to block what seemed like a certain goal! Elche are really hanging on by their fingertips at the moment, and will no doubt relish the sound of the half-time whistle.
39'
A more settled period of the game follows that wasted chance as Elche get a foot on the ball and both teams seem to just take a bit of a breather. It's been action-packed so far!
35'
POST! What a chance wasted by Atletico!! Vietto pounces on a suicidal loose square ball from the left-sided centre-back and charges down on goal. Under pressure from the other centre-back, he manages to slide his shot past the goalkeeper, but it comes back off the post! Atletico frantically work another chance, but it's fired straight at the goalkeeper! Such wasteful finishing from the favourites.
32'
Kaba drives at the Atletico defence on the edge of their own box. He throws several stepovers in, but Hernandez isn't fooled and wins the ball back confidently.
29'
CHANCE! What a miss by Vietto! He receives the ball in the area and gets a yard of space, but tries to sweep it into the far corner on the turn and drags it wide! Atletico have been wasteful - they could really be out of sight by now.
26'
CHANCE! Atletico work the ball quickly down the left, and try to cut it back into the middle, but an Elche defender slides in and concedes a corner - but very nearly turned the ball into his own net!
23'
CHANCE! Pla gives away a foul as he tracks back desperately to prevent a fast Atletico counter. The resulting free-kick is curled in beautifully, but is headed wide by Gaitan with the goal gaping! What a miss!
21'
CHANCE! Elche produce some quality attacking play for the first time in the match. Pla backheels into the path of Flores, who cuts inside from the left and fires a fierce shot across goal, only for Moya to make an excellent save! The hosts have burst into life all of a sudden!
17'
T. Partey has scored a goal for Atletico Madrid! Assist by J. Giménez.
Giménez showed great attacking instincts for a centre-back there. He not only used his strength to hold up the ball on the right, but produced a lovely cross to the back post that fell perfectly for Thomas to convert.
GOAL! Thomas opens the scoring! A cross from the left is only half-cleared, and Gimenez lofts the ball back across the the far post, where Thomas is waiting to thump a header into the ground and over the outstretched arms of the keeper! 1-0 Atletico Madrid!
15'
A neat turn from Kaba takes him away from Vrsaljko. That's been the first bright spark Elche have shown so far this evening.
12'
Left-back Gonzalez gets to the byline well and pulls the ball back into the centre, but sees his work wasted as the ball is blasted over the bar.
10'
A long throw is tossed into the box from Vrsaljko, but Gimenez - who wins the flick on - is somewhat harshly penalised for a foul.
8'
CHANCE! Atletico win the ball high up the pitch with their trademark press, and Elche twice scrap the ball clear and manage to get away with just conceding a corner! That looked a hairy moment for the hosts there, but Atletico couldn't capitalise on this occasion.
6'
Atletico are seeing plenty of the ball in these opening stages, and win a corner from the left. The delivery looks good, but Elche just nick the ball away and regroup as Thomas blasts one over from 25 yards. It was a decent hit, but always rising.
3'
CHANCE! An early chance for Torres - who is captain for the night. The ball is fired into the near post and he tries to turn in goalwards first-time on the volley with the side of his foot, but can only shoot wide. Not an easy chance for the former Liverpool man, but certainly an early sign of intent from the visitors.
1'
And we're off!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Copa del Rey third round first leg clash between Elche and Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Martinez Valero in Elche.
The lineups have been announced, and we'll start with the home side.
Atletico Madrid XI (4-4-2): Moya; Gonzalez, Hernandez, Gimenez, Vrsaljko; Gaitan, Fernandez, Thomas, Bare; Torres, Vietto
Atletico Madrid substitutes: Saul, Werner, Moya, Rodenas, Montoro
Tonight's hosts - Elche - were relegated from La Liga only recently, at the end of the 2014/15 season, due to financial trouble. They became the first-ever team in Spain to be relegated by this rule. They survived for a year in the Segunda Division, before being relegated again and now reside in Spain's third tier - Segunda B - Group 3.
However, they sit fourth in the league, the same spot as their visitors - Atletico Madrid - hold in La Liga. And tonight's fixture will bring back not-too-distant memories for Elche fans of the kind of fixtures they used to play in.
Atletico are one of the three unbeaten teams in La Liga so far this season, alongside Barcelona and Valencia. In fact, they have only lost once this season - a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League. However, the Madrid club have drawn six of their 12 competitive games this season, and Sunday's 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo put and end to what was a four-match winless run. And, after a shocking 0-0 draw against Qarabag in the Champions League left them winless in the competition after three games, Diego Simeone will have to ensure his side do not underestimate anyone.
The big news for the visitors is that star man Antoine Griezmann has been left behind, along with regular strike partner and recent match-winner Kevin Gamiero. Diego Godin is also rested, along with first-choice stopper Jan Oblak. However, with several first-team players included in the squad, Atleti will still expect to beat their third-tier opponents, who have just suffered back-to-back league losses.
Boyhood Elche fan Saul Niguez apologised before the game to his beloved Elche insisting that that his Atletico Madrid side would knock them out of the Copa del Rey tonight, asserting his team's desire to win the competition.
And there's the half-time whistle! The scoreline reads 1-0 to Atletico Madrid, but in truth this game should be dead and buried by now. Thomas opened the scoring with a thumping header into the ground following Gimenez's excellent cross to the back post, but the visitors proceded to squander a host of chances, with Vietto in particular a guilty party. First, he dragged an effort wide from inside the box when he should really have hit the target, before hitting the post when one-on-one with the goalkeeper after pouncing on a loose ball! If Atletico keep this up, you would still expect them to convert enough chances to win, but Elche may feel that they can punish the wastefulness of their top-tier opposition. As it stands though, Atletico go into the break at just 1-0 up.
And that's it! Elche have a famous 1-1 against La Liga giants Atletico Madrid. It all looked so easy for the visitors in the first half when they took the lead through Thomas' powerful header into the ground, but they were eventually punished for a string of wasted opportunities, with Vietto missing three clear-cut chances. Elche won a penalty in the second half and Pla - the man fouled - took his moment superbly, coolly slotting down the middle to restore parity. For Atletico, it's another draw that takes them to seven from 13 matches this season - over half their games have finished in stalemates - and just one win in their last six games does not make for pretty reading for Simeone. They will still feel confident of advancing to the next round via the second leg at home, but it is certainly a disappointing result for the La Liga side. It finishes 1-1, and Elche will certainly be very proud of that result!
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