Real Madrid pays heavy price for Copa del Rey defeat

Seville: Real Madrid will pay a heavy price in injuries and suspensions following Saturday night s dramatic 3 2 defeat to FC Barcelona in the final of...

Seville: Real Madrid will pay a heavy price in injuries and suspensions following Saturday night's dramatic 3-2 defeat to FC Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey.

Jules Kounde's goal in the 116th minute gave Barca their third win over Madrid in three meetings this season, and while Real Madrid gave their best performance against the club's eternal rivals, that will be scant consolation following a long night in Seville.

The final ended in controversy and there were ugly scenes with several Real Madrid players losing control after referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea awarded a free kick to Barcelona in the closing seconds, with Jude Bellingham, Lucas Vazquez and Antonio Rudiger all shown red cards for their vociferous protests.

Bellingham and Vazquez can expect bans of either one or two games, which they will serve in next season's Copa del Rey (although Vazquez is likely to have left Madrid by then).

However, Rudiger faces a much tougher suspension after the German hurled a bag of ice at the referee and needed to be held back by team-mates and