On December 5, Spanish football delivered a script worthy of a blockbuster movie. In the second round of the Copa del Rey, Valencia faced lower-division side Cartagena—and what looked like an easy matchup nearly turned into a shocking upset.
On paper, the gap was enormous: Valencia’s squad value is €167 million, while Cartagena’s is only €5.75 million. Yet the match unfolded in the most unexpected way.
In the 21st minute, Cartagena stunned everyone by scoring first and taking a 1–0 lead. Valencia didn’t find their equalizer until the 79th minute, pushing the match into extra time.
Then came disaster for Valencia: in the 112th minute, St. María was sent off, leaving them with only 10 men.
By the 119th minute, Valencia were hanging by a thread. Cartagena earned a penalty—one strike away from eliminating the La Liga giants. But in an astonishing twist, Valencia’s keeper saved the penalty!
And then the football gods wrote the final chapter.
Just one minute later, the 10-man Valencia team scored from a corner to complete a stunning 2–1 comeback victory.
Valencia advanced to the third round in the most dramatic fashion possible. Their players celebrated wildly, while Cartagena could only watch their dream collapse in heartbreak.
