Malaga survived a late scare to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey with a 4-3 aggregate win over Levante after a 3-2 defeat on the night thanks.

Both sides fielded weakened sides in front of a very small crowd at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia.

Malaga made the better start without really creating any openings but the first talking point came when Levante's Ruben Garcia went down in the box after a collision with Casado. The ball was played in from the left wing and Casado looked to block off Ruben Garcia's run although it is unlikely he would have reached the cross.

After twenty-two minutes Malaga took the lead when Samu's through ball found Ricardo Horta on the left and his low shot went past Jesus Fernandez at his near post with the keeper expecting the ball to go across goal.

It was almost two, minutes later when Luis Alberto's pass reached Horta again but Fernandez was aware of the danger and was right on top of the Portuguese as he went to shoot.

Malaga were taking control of the game now and did make it 2-0 after thirty-eight minutes. Juanmi broke clear down the right but his attempted cross was intercepted by Hector Rodas but he could only clear as far as the edge of the box where Recio was arriving to emphatically drive a shot into the top corner.

Levante were unlucky not to pull one back just before half time when Pedro Lopez collected the ball in the right side of the box. Lopez unleashed a vicious shot with his right foot but it went right across goal and wide and the score remained 2-0 at half time.

Malaga should have killed the game off on sixty-three minutes when Luis Alberto found Juanmi in the box but with a costless header he was only able to direct his shot right at Fernandez.

Levante pulled a goal back on seventy minutes when Ruben Garcia's costless kick was met by Rodas who headed across goal and substitute, David Barral tapped into the net.

Barral scored again just three minutes later after good work from Camarasa in midfield found Garcia on the left who crossed to Barral. Barral took the ball down before a neat turn beat the defender and he rifled his shot past Guillermo Ochoa in the Malaga goal.

Barral almost got his hat trick on seventy-nine minutes when he met a Camarasa cross with a powerful header but Ochoa was equal to it and made the save.

Levante took the lead on the night with five minutes to go and this time Barral was the creator when he flicked on a corner which Juanfran met with a low left foot volley that beat Ochoa at his near post to leave Levante needing just two goals to qualify after needing five at one stage.

Barral thought he had got his hat trick in the ninetieth minute when he bundled the ball home from a costless kick but the referee correctly adjudged him to have used his hand and gave Barral a second yellow card which saw the forward sent off after an amazing cameo.

Malaga were able to see the remaining minutes out against the ten men to secure a quarter-final place against the winners of Athletic Bilbao and Celta Vigo (Bilbao lead 4-2 from the first leg).

For Levante it is back to league action but their fans must surely be thinking of what could have been if David Barral had played the full ninety minutes. He was sensational after coming on as a second half substitute and if he had been given more time who knows what might have been.

Levante - Fernandez; Juanfran, Lopez, Rodas, El Adoua, Tono, Gavilan (Xumetra 62), El Zhar (Barral 61), Garcia, Camarasa, Martins.

Malaga - Ochoa, Torres, Rosales, Angeleri (Filipenko 65), Casado, Alberto, Recio, Anor, Juanmi, Horta, Samu (Castillejo 70).