Fortuny's brace puts Castilla top of the Premier League International Cup
53 minute(s)
Real Madrid Castilla beat Everton 0-2 on matchday three of the Premier League International Cup, at Goodison Park. Arbeloa's side were superior from the start of the contest and took the lead before half-time courtesy of a goal by . Everton attempted to change the pattern of play after the restart, but the Whites remained solid and Pol Fortuny grabbed his second goal in added time. Castilla secured their second victory in the competition and are now clear leaders of Group A with seven points.
The match started at a subdued pace. Arbeloa's side tried to dominate possession, while Everton opted for a physical approach with quick transitions. As the minutes passed, Castilla pressed harder on the English side to force them into making mistakes. They succeeded in the 14th minute, when the referee awarded a penalty for a foul by Tamen on Loren Zúñiga, but Pickford saved Manuel Ángel's shot. Madrid continued to pursue their game plan and in the 18th minute, David Jiménez tried his luck with a shot from the edge of the box.
In the 30th minute, Mesonero's effort from the edge of the box went slightly wide. David Jiménez tried again with a powerful shot that was saved by the goalkeeper in the 38th minute. It looked like the score would remain unchanged before half-time, but in added time, Castilla finally got their reward. Jiménez capitalised on a poor clearance by the opposition defence inside the area and passed the ball to Pol Fortuny, who finished with a low shot.
Pol Fortuny grabs his second
After the restart, Everton came out in search of an equaliser. They almost got it in the 47th minute, but Lamini made a superb block to deny Morgan inside the box. In the 66th minute, Patterson was sent off for a strong challenge on Pol Fortuny. Castilla took advantage of their numerical superiority and regained control, which they maintained for most of the second half. In the final minutes, a saving hand from Mestre denied Benjamin a goal. With Everton throwing everything forward, the academy team made it 0-2 in added time: Thiago found Pol Fortuny inside the area, who grabbed his second goal with a shot to the right post to seal the match.
MATCH INFO
0-Everton: Pickford, Finney, Van Schoor (Ebere, 62’), Welch (Boyake, 81’), Tamen, Campbell, Bates, Patterson, Gómez (Harvey, 46’), Morgan (Thomas, 81’), Graham (Benjamin, 46’).
2-Castilla: Mestre. D. Jiménez (Fortea, 66’), Mario Rivas, Lamini, Diego Aguado (Manu Serrano, 74’), Cristian David, Mesonero (G. Castrelo, 73’), Manuel Ángel (Thiago, 66’), Pol Fortuny, Á. Leiva, Loren Zúñiga (Palacios, 77’).
Goals:
0-1 (min. 50+): Pol Fortuny.
0-2 (min. 95+): Pol Fortuny.