Espanyol have recovered from a 1-0 deficit by beating Alcorcon 4-2 in a dramatic second leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie.
Alcorcon made the perfect start to the second leg following their shock 1-0 victory a week ago as Oscar Plano extended his side's lead on aggregate with an emphatic finish from just inside the box in the fourth minute.
The hosts hit back just six minutes later when Javi Lopez curled in a dangerous cross for Simao to convert at the back post.
Mikel Iribas gifted Espanyol an opportunity to score their second of the night when he was adjudged to have fouled Simao inside the box.
Sergio Garcia stepped up from 12 yards and the forward made no mistake with the penalty to pile the pressure on the underdogs.
Kiko Casilla was called into action just before the break to deny Plano a second goal of the night as Alcorcon continued to threaten on the break.
Espanyol dominated possession in the second half as they looked for the goal that would secure their progress but they were frustrated by a stubborn display from the visiting defence.
However, it was Alcorcon who found the next breakthrough when Sergio Prendes picked out Javito, who finished calmly to edge his side closer to the quarter-finals.
Victor Alvarez struck back just four minutes later with a powerful finish to give Espanyol hope of producing another fightback in the closing stages.
The tie ended in dramatic fashion when Pizzi scored the crucial with only three minutes remaining to earn his team a 4-3 victory on aggregate.
Callum Mulvihill
