Real Sociedad delivered a stunning upset against Atlético Madrid, clinching their fourth Copa del Rey title after a dramatic 4-3 victory in a penalty shootout that followed a 2-2 draw in extra time in Seville.
Key saves from Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero, denying Atlético strikers Alexander Sørloth and Julián Álvarez, proved crucial. Pablo Marín sealed the victory with the decisive penalty kick, sending it into the top of the net.
“I believed in myself, my teammates believed in me, and our fans believed in me. If we got to penalties, I was confident,” said the 24-year-old Marrero, just before receiving the trophy and medals from Spanish King Felipe VI.
“I still can’t believe it. The boy who dreamed of this since he was young has seen his dream come true,” he added.
This victory marked Sociedad’s first trophy since 2020, when they last won the Copa del Rey. Additionally, their head coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo, originally from New Jersey, became the first U.S. coach to win a major trophy in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Ander Barrenetxea made history by scoring the fastest goal in a Copa del Rey final, finding the net just 14 seconds into the game. Although Ademola Lookman equalized in the 18th minute, a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal looked set to secure the win for Sociedad until Álvarez equalized for Atlético in the dying minutes of regulation.
Upon taking charge of Sociedad in December, Matarazzo managed to reverse the team’s fortunes; just four months later, they stand in the upper half of the LaLiga table and are celebrated cup winners.
CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP via Getty Images
The opening goal came with a straightforward play against Atlético’s solid defense: the ball was passed to the goalkeeper, who sent a long pass down the right. Gonçalo Guedes found himself in space to cross, allowing Ander Barrenetxea to net with a header.
This sequence highlighted a breakdown in Atlético’s defending, as neither Nahuel Molina nor Giuliano Simeone failed to intercept the pass, and Matteo Ruggeri allowed Barrenetxea to outjump him. Goalkeeper Juan Musso might have also reacted quicker to parry the shot.
Lookman continued to be an impactful winter signing for Atlético, scoring his seventh goal after receiving a pass from Antoine Griezmann, which he slotted inside the post with a left-footed shot.
Oyarzabal confidently converted a penalty after Musso collided with Guedes in the box, demonstrating his penalty expertise once more, as he had also scored the decisive spot-kick in the 2020 final against Athletic Club.
Sociedad was on the brink of victory before Atlético launched an effective team move, leading to Álvarez’s later equalizer in the second half.
Musso redeemed himself by making crucial saves in extra time, while Atlético managed to create several missed opportunities to clinch the title.
Marrero excelled during the shootout, guessing right on the first two penalties taken by Atlético’s strikers.
“The team fought hard to turn the match around, but we were unsettled early on and did our best,” said Atlético veteran midfielder Koke. “It’s a tough night. We appreciate all our fans who traveled with us.”
With Griezmann aiming to lead Atlético past Arsenal in the European semifinals, the focus is on finishing his final season in Spain with a title before heading to Orlando City in the MLS next season.
“We want to win the Champions League,” Koke added. “But tonight is a tough night. We’ll have time to reflect on the Champions League later.”
Contributions to this report were made by The Associated Press.