Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Derby Score, Grades, Reaction from Copa Del Rey

Fernando Torres scored in the first minute of each half as Atletico Madrid advanced to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid on Thursday night in the second leg of their round-of-16 tie at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Atletico won the first leg 2-0 last week at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, setting up a potential thriller in the second leg. But Torres' first goal, with less than 50 seconds on the clock, reaffirmed Atletico's stranglehold on the tie.

Real equalised through Sergio Ramos in the 20th minute, but Torres struck again in the opening moments of the second half.

The hosts then drew level a second time via Cristiano Ronaldo in the 54th minute, but Atletico held firm for a 4-2 aggregate win over the final 35 minutes.

For Torres, it was an ideal way to kickstart his second spell with Atletico. Leaving the club for Liverpool in 2007, Torres rejoined on loan earlier this month and picked a perfect time to open his scoring account.

Diego Simeone's side now head to the quarter-finals, most likely to face Barcelona. The Catalan side play at Elche later on Thursday after taking a 5-0 lead in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Meanwhile, both Atletico and Real remain heavily involved in the Spanish title race. Carlo Ancelotti's Real top the table with 42 points through 17 matches, one point ahead of Barca, who have played 18 matches. Atletico, who also have played 18 matches, are four points behind.

Up next, Real Madrid play at Getafe in La Liga on Sunday. Atletico host Granada the same day.

Moments before kick-off, Real honoured Ronaldo for his recent Ballon d'Or win, but within moments of the first whistle, Atletico had raced into a stunning lead.

With less than 50 seconds on the clock, Antoine Griezmann raced free behind Real's defence down Atletico's left flank. After reaching the box, Griezmann pulled up and bounced a pass back into the middle for Torres, who volleyed into the top corner with his first touch.

At that, Atletico held a 1-0 lead on the night and a 3-0 advantage on aggregate. Real immediately set out in search of goals, hoping to mount an improbable comeback.

Chances came in bunches for the hosts, who dominated possession for the rest of the first half. Pepe headed over the bar in the fourth minute and Gareth Bale forced Jan Oblak into a save with a flicked header two minutes later.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

In the 18th minute, Oblak had to be alert to smother the ball in his own box with Ronaldo lurking.

The equaliser felt inevitable, and it arrived in the 20th minute. Toni Kroos curled in a free-kick from the right, picking out Ramos along the edge of the six-yard box. Oblak came off his line in an attempt to collect but instead ran into a team-mate, allowing Ramos to power his header into an unguarded net.

Real's onslaught continued for the rest of the first half. In the 23rd minute, Atletico defender Diego Godin slid in his own box to deny a Ronaldo shot that appeared bound for the net. Six minutes later, Juanfran deflected a Ronaldo header off target after Bale had picked out the Portuguese superstar at the far post.

Two minutes before the break, Real appealed for a penalty after a Ronaldo shot struck Miranda's arm in the box. Replays showed that Miranda had held his arm flat next to his body, and the referee allowed play to continue.

For all the chances Real created in the opening 45 minutes, the match remained 1-1 at half-time. But much like in the first half, Atletico found a quick goal in the opening moments of the second.

This time the goal came even faster, Griezmann picking off a bad pass from Ramos before slotting through to Torres on the left flank. Torres held up the ball to beat the sliding Pepe before finishing in off Keylor Navas at the near post.

Atletico held the lead for the second time on the night, but once again Real responded. In the 54th minute, Marcelo freed Bale on the left with an angled pass into the box. Nearing the byline, Bale pulled back into the middle for Ronaldo, who flicked a header into the far corner to make it 2-2.

Back on level terms for a second time, Real kept searching for goals. Ramos saw his weak header saved in the 65th minute, then Marcelo hooked a low shot off target two minutes later. In the 68th minute, Karim Benzema blasted over the bar from close range after winning a corner inside Atletico's box.

Time was starting to run out on the hosts. Bale headed over the bar after being picked out by a Marcelo cross in the 81st minute. Frustrations threatened to bubble over in the 86th minute as Dani Carvajal scythed down Atletico's Guilherme Siqueira. Carvajal received a yellow card for the foul. 

Isco followed him into the book in the 90th minute, drawing a yellow card for a poor challenge on Tiago. By that time, the tie was over and Atletico were on their way to the quarter-finals.

Grades

Starting XI	Rating
Substitutes	Rating
Keylor Navas	5.7
Dani Carvajal	7.2
Pepe	6.3
Sergio Ramos	6.9
Marcelo	7.5
Isco	8.0
Toni Kroos	7.5
James Rodriguez	7.2
Gareth Bale	7.8
Karim Benzema	6.4
Cristiano Ronaldo	8.2
Raphael Varane (for Pepe, 59')	6.5
Jese (for Rodriguez, 72')	6.2

Starting XI	Rating
Substitutes	Rating
Jan Oblak	6.6
Juanfran	7.0
Miranda	6.5
Diego Godin	7.2
Guilherme Siqueira	7.0
Mario Suarez	7.4
Tiago	6.9
Raul Garcia	6.9
Antoine Griezmann	7.8
Koke	7.1
Fernando Torres	8.5
Arda Turan (for Torres, 58')	6.2
Gabi (for Griezmann, 74')	6.1
Raul Jimenez (for Garcia, 81')	6.2

Reaction

Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres (Diario AS via Football Espana):

"

I am very happy. It’s a game that we should feel comfortable with, for the outcome of the round. The early goal meant we could play the game we wanted. The tie was never in danger. There were no hassles. Playing at Santiago Bernabeu is always complicated. When they were level (at 1-1) there were possibilities but we closed the tie at 2-1.

The smile on my face is for the win and for scoring my first two goals and to get them in a stadium where I had failed (to score).

"