Real Madrid returned to Spanish Cup action, the only trophy ZInedine Zidane's men failed to land last season, and while Fuenlabrada gave a good account of themselves, particularly during the first half, they were no much for the much-changed European champions.

Minus the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric, this was more a second string side put out by Zidane, but after coming through an intense opening 45', they had enough about them to get the win.

Two penalties did the business...first Marco Asensio converting after Achraf Hakiki had been hauled down, and then Lucas Vazquez rolling past the excellent Jordi Codina.

Asensio tucks home from the spot (
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Asensio has four goals now this season (
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Vazquez got Madrid's second (
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That second spot-kick saw the home side reduced to 10 men, substitute Paco Candela sent off just six minutes after coming on, picking up two yellow cards in that time.

But both sides would finish with 10 men in this lesser-spotted Madrid derby, Madrid defender Jesus Vallejo being shown a straight red for a lunging challenge.

Follow all the action, as it happened, in our live blog below...

Fuenlabrada starting XI: Codina; Iribas, Cata Díaz, Armando, García; Atienza, Milla; Fraile, Quero, Fernández; Dioni.

Real Madrid starting XI: Casilla; Achraf, Vallejo, Nacho, Theo; Llorente, Ceballos, Tejero; Vazquez, Mayoral, Asensio.

That's all folks

Right then folks.

That’s all she wrote for us tonight .

We’ll be back with more from La Liga this weekend, so keep an eye out for that.

See you then, right here, on Mirror Football!

Player Ratings

This was a far from convincing performance by many of those hoping for a more prominent role in Zidane’s normal starting XI.

But who impressed and who failed to do so?

Here are our man’s Real Madrid player ratings.

Look away Jesus Vallejo

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Match Report

Zinedine Zidane could have been mistaken for thinking he was back in his old job as Real Madrid’s youth team coach as his young guns struggled to victory at third-tier Fuenlabrada.

A Real side shorn of the likes of the rested Cristiano Ronaldo , Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, needed two second-half penalties to get the job done at the Fernando Torres stadium.

Marco Asesnio and Lucas Vazquez converted from the spot, but this was a far from convincing performance by many of those hoping for a more prominent role in Zidane’s normal starting XI.

A unsatisfactory night for the visitors was summed up two minutes from time when debutant Jesus Vallejo’s late lunge was punished with a straight red card.

Bar Valleajo, most of Real’s reserves on show should, though, get another shot in the second leg of this Copa del Rey last 32 tie in what will be little more than a formality back at the Santiago Bernabeu in a month’s time.

Five talking points this way

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FT: Fuenlabrada 0-2 Real Madrid

That’s all she wrote folks.

Fuenlabrada gave a good account of themselves, particularly during the first half.

But in the end, despite it being a second (maybe third) string Real Madrid side, Los Blancos had enough about them to get the win.

Two penalties did the business...first Marco Asensio and then Lucas Vazquez both finding the net.

And both sides also finished with 10 men, after late red cards in this lesser-spotted Madrid derby.

First leg victory for the hosts.

Red card! Vallejo sent off

Now Real Madrid are shown a red card, with Jesus Vallejo sent off.

The former Frankfurt loanee dives in to a challenge after a miscontrol and is very late.

But it’s not studs up and while he catches the player, it’s not going to cause serious injury because he’s half attempted to pull out.

The referee however sees it differently and it’s 10-a-side for the remainder.

Dani Ceballos started the night in the wars and he’s given away another foul late on here.

Not sure how he’s not been booked tonight.

Cata Diaz fires the freekick goalwards...Casilla gets down to make the save, then hangs on at the second time of asking.

Five minutes to go and the atmosphere has died down considerably since that second goal.

Madrid now have the freedom of the park to continue passing the ball.

Fuenlabrada’s resistance has largely been broken.

A change for Real Madrid.

Achraf, excellent tonight, comes off.

Feuillassier comes on for the visitors.

Fuenlabrada 0-2 Real Madrid (Vazquez)

Not Marco Asensio this time.

Instead, Lucas Vazquez steps up.

He goes to Codina’s left.

Codina goes the right way.

But it sneaks inside the post and Los Blancos double their lead.

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Penalty and a red card!

Another penalty!

Candela, the substitute, is done for holding at a corner.

And what’s more, just SIX MINUTES after coming on, he’s been sent off!

Vazquez just wide

Lovely effort from Vazquez almost puts the european champs 2-0 up.

He’s been looking all night to come inside, play a little one two and get a shot off.

He’s done it here, the give and go with Mayoral, and then curled left footed...inches wide of Codina’s right-hand post.

Final change from the hosts.

Fraile has faded after a bright start.

Paco Candela on.

Assume his no relation to Vincent, of Bolton and Roma fame.

Within a minute he’s been booked for a rather overly-excited challenge

Now the tempo has slowed a touch with Los Blancos in front.

They’re dominating the ball and have taken the sting out of the occasion.

The Fuenlabrada players have noticeably tired and their closing down isn’t so quick in the second period.

Achraf again gets clear down the right, crosses, but Mayoral’s header is well saved by Codina again.

Mayoral goes close

Good football from Madrid and a lovely pass through finds Borja Mayoral in between centre-half and full-back.

He takes a touch, stumbles under a challenge and fires towards the top corner.

But Codina again makes a fine save, tipping over the bar.

Asensio has the bit between his teeth now it seems.

25 yards out he fires another low drive goalwards...this time Codina gets down and turns it behind for a corner.

That’s delivered from the right, but Codina comes and claims well.

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Fuenlabrada 0-1 Real Madrid (Asensio)

Coolly, Marco Asensio tucks home.

Codina went left, Asensio puts the ball into the opposite corner and has his fourth goal of the season and Real have the lead.

Was really good play from Achraf to win the spot-kick.

Disappointment for the hosts...can they respond?

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PENALTY!

It’s a penalty to the visitors.

Excellent powerful run from Achraf down the right, he’s grabbed and pulled down by Garcia who is booked.

Spotkick to Real, which Asensio will take.

Two-thirds of the way through

Good work from Achraf - really impressive in pre-season for Real - to get himself out of a sticky spot.

Two-thirds of the way through and we remain goalless.

Zidane is now becoming more active on the touchline, looking to garner a little more from his side.

Real Madrid with a freekick now in a wide area once more.

Asensio’s attempted left wing cross was blocked by a hand.

Again Ceballos is on set-piece duty, he drifts it over and it comes off Milla and goes behind for Madrid’s fourth corner of the game.

This one is swung over by Asensio, goes too long and is retrieved by Vasquez, who cuts inside and fires a low effort, but it’s easy for Codina.

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Madrid still recycling play and committing more bodies going forward.

Another change for the home side.

Quero, who started brightly, replaced by Yaw.

Much more authoritative start from Madrid at the beginning of the second period.

They’re now playing the ball around in the Fuenlabrada half and have noticeably increased the speed of their passing and movement.

Back underway!

Fernandez off at the break for the hosts.

Portilla comes on.

Teams are returning

The teams are coming back out now.

Much chatting in the tunnel among the away side.

They’ve not covered themselves in glory thus far.

Will it have been the carrot or the stick at the break?

Half-time: Fuenlabrada 0-0 Real Madrid

That’s half-time folks.

Borja Mayoral had his first sight of goal before the break and Codina made a fine save.

Mayoral was then fouled in a dangerous area out wide and it was crossed over...but headed away by Diaz.

That’s half-time, and it remains goalless.

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Llorente hits the bar

A ferocious hit from Marcos Llorente is brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Codina.

The ball sat up nicely for Llorente to volley from 20 yards and he thundered it goalwards.

Codina got fingertips to it, and it crashed off the bar and over.

Some nice little touches from Asensio, just popping the ball off here and there, but not in anything like a dangerous area.

Some quite animated scenes on the home bench as the coach explains to a member of his staff something that he’s not happy with.

Now the referee has stopped the game, unhappy with an off the ball challenge by Lucas Vasquez.

The ex-Espanyol man starting to get a little tetchy.

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Ceballos’ difficult night continues.

Another sloppy pass in midfield gives away possession, then, 20 seconds later, he’s caught on the ball once more.

Iribas and Garcia, the Fuenlabrada fullbacks are both actively attempting to get forwards a little bit more.

And the home side are growing in confidence here.

Without their stars, Los Blancos, dare I say, look a little bit normal!

Vasquez has come inside a couple of times and found no room.

Marcos Llorente has now fired well over from 25 yards or so, when Vasquez may have been fouled on the edge of the box.

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So, approaching the hour mark and the Segunda Division B side have acquitted themselves well.

They’re forcing Madrid to go wide, not allowing room in central areas.

We’ve seen little of Borja Mayoral thus far.

So far so good for Fuenlabrada.

Another save Casilla

Another save for Casilla.

Again it’s a corner from the right, and Madrid don’t deal with the first ball.

Cata Diaz got a nick on that, and then it bounced up for another header, again by Armando, which was easily dealt with by the Madrid stopper.