Copa del Rey: Girona, Villarreal, and Espanyol shocked, while Valencia and Celta Vigo advance

Last year's unexpected standout, Girona, faced a shocking defeat against fourth-division team UD Logrones on Wednesday, as they were eliminated from the Copa del Rey in the second round after a 4-3 penalty shootout.

This surprising outcome was largely attributed to an unlikely hero for the underdog hosts.

Pol Arnau, a 19-year-old left-back, was thrust into the role of goalkeeper after the starting keeper, Kike Royo, suffered an injury during extra time, and manager Sergio Rodriguez had already exhausted all available substitutions.

Arnau, the son of the late goalkeeper Francesc Arnau, who played for Barcelona and Malaga, and the brother of Marc Arnau, a keeper for fifth-division Mollerussa, demonstrated his capability by making several crucial saves under pressure from Girona, ultimately leading the match to penalties after a scoreless draw.

In the penalty shootout, Arnau distinguished himself once more by saving a penalty from Girona's star striker, Abel Ruiz, while Cristhian Stuani's shot hit the crossbar, confirming the home team's remarkable victory.

Girona was not the only LaLiga team to exit the tournament early; Espanyol was eliminated by the lower-ranked Barbastro with a 2-0 scoreline on Tuesday. Villarreal also suffered a surprise defeat, losing 1-0 to fourth-division Pontevedra due to a last-minute goal from Dalisson de Almeida.

Meanwhile, Valladolid required extra time to secure a 4-2 victory over Real Avila, and Leganes triumphed over fourth-division Estepona in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.

Other teams such as Valencia, Betis, Celta Vigo, Las Palmas, and Rayo Vallecano progressed with relative ease.

Atletico Madrid is set to compete against Cacereno on Thursday, while Real Madrid and Barcelona will make their debuts in the next round of the competition.

SportsLigue