Copa del Rey 2017: Results, Reaction from Wednesday's Round of 16, Leg 1 Games
Real Madrid cruised to victory in the first leg of the 2017 Copa del Rey round of 16, defeating Sevilla 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday.
James Rodriguez's brace and a goal from Raphael Varane were enough for the Galacticos as they placed one foot in the next round.
There was also a win for Real Sociedad, who defeated Villarreal 3-1 at the Anoeta Stadium. Alcorcon and Cordoba played out a goalless draw in the night's other cup match.
Here are Wednesday's Copa results:
| Alcorcon | 0-0 | Cordoba |
| Real Sociedad | 3-1 | Villarreal |
| Real Madrid | 3-0 | Sevilla |
Wednesday Recap
James took his chance to shine in front of Zinedine Zidane, as the Colombia superstar grabbed two goals to propel Los Blancos into a convincing lead ahead of the second leg in Sevilla on January 12.
The attacking midfielder appeared to recapture lost form, as his side strolled to an easy home victory in the cup.
Real were worth their win against a good side, and Varane's goal capped off a confident performance.
James opened the scoring after 11 minutes and then slotted home a penalty on the stroke of half-time to claim Madrid's third after Luka Modric had been pushed in the box. Varane had grabbed his side's second goal on the half-hour mark as the hosts skipped to victory.
Squawka Football highlighted James' outstanding contribution to Madrid's cause since joining the superclub:
Sociedad gave a comprehensive performance at home to Villarreal, defeating their opponents 3-1.
Brazilian striker Willian Jose opened the scoring after just 17 minutes, and Carlos Vela grabbed his side's second after a comedy of errors from the visitors after the half-hour mark.
Teenage talent Mikel Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory with a late strike in the game, but the Yellow Submarine obtained a precious away goal in the 77th minute from Manu Trigueros, keeping the tie alive into the second leg.
Alcorcon and Cordoba played out a cagey affair in their first-leg encounter, and neither side could earn an advantage to carry into the second leg.
The Copa del Rey has offered James a lifeline at Real, allowing him minutes on the pitch after it seemed his career in the Spanish capital might be over.
He proved he is still a goalscoring threat when entrusted on the pitch, and he has the undoubted quality to add flair to his side's attack.
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