Copa del Rey Report: Zidane Returns With Goal To Win It On The Night For Real

Zinedine Zidane scored a deflected free-kick with the final touch of the game to hand Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Valencia in this Copa del Rey quarter final second-leg clash at the Mestalla.

Real, who go through 5-1 on aggregate, took the lead through Raul, before Xisco equalised in the second-half for Valencia.

Raul put Real ahead after 13 minutes when he ran on to a pass from Ronaldo and slotted calmly past Andres Palop with his left foot.

That was game over with Valencia now needing five, but the Ches put in a determined display and Mista saw an effort deflected just wide on the half-hour mark.

Carlos Queiroz's Real were working hard all over the pitch, and on 37 minutes Ronaldo dragged just wide after a surging run from the impressive Guti.

Valencia immediately broke down the other end and Mista was so unlucky to see his shot hit the inside of the post and end up in the grateful arms of Cesar.

The last action of the half saw Navarro -who was lucky not to be sent-off for a shocking challenge on Figo- blast over from close range. How Valencia coach Rafa Benitez must have wished the chance had fallen to one of his side's more seasoned finishers.

Riccardo Oliveira was brought on at half-time to replace the ineffectual Pablo Aimar, and the Brazilian tested Cesar with a low shot straight after the restart.

Cesar then had to be on his toes to clear with Mista closing in, before Angulo got in the way of the former Tenerife striker's goal bound shot. This was just not going to be Valencia's day.

Just after the hour mark Santi Solari saw a goal ruled out for offside after converting a Ronaldo pass.

Valencia got their equaliser on 73 minutes. Cesar did well to push out a Mista header, but substitute Xisco was on hand to head in the rebound.

With six minutes remaining Oliveira fired over a very presentable opportunity after some super right-wing work from Vicente, before Jorge Lopez was also guilty of some poor finishing.

Real claimed the win on the night in the 91st minute when Zinedine Zidane, who had replaced Raul a few minutes earlier, saw his free-kick deflected off the Valencia wall and end up in the bottom corner of the net.