Real Sociedad 1-0 Athletic Club (2-0 on aggregate)
Real Sociedad has secured a spot in the final of the 2025-26 Copa del Rey after overcoming their fierce rivals Athletic Club in the second leg of their semi-final match at Anoeta.
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Under the guidance of Pellegrini Matarazzo, the team secured a 1-0 victory at San Mames three weeks ago, allowing them to progress by simply avoiding a loss. However, they faced early pressure as Athletic Club started strong, yet failed to capitalize on their initial momentum.
As the first half progressed, La Real found their rhythm and created more scoring opportunities. Carlos Soler and Goncalo Guedes came close to scoring, but Athletic’s backup goalkeeper Alex Padilla was seldom tested.
Once again, Athletic made a strong start to the second half, but their efforts culminated only in a blocked shot from Inaki Williams and a header from Alex Berenguer. La Real managed the game adeptly, and with just three minutes left before the 90-minute mark, they scored the crucial goal of the match.
Athletic midfielder Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta was deemed to have fouled Yangel Herrera in the penalty area, a decision confirmed by VAR after the on-field referee César Soto Grado overlooked it. Mikel Oyarzabal confidently converted the penalty, scoring the match’s only goal and igniting the celebrations among the home fans at Anoeta.
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La Real Set to Face Atletico Madrid in Final
La Real will now strive to claim the Copa del Rey title for the first time since 2020, when they triumphed over Athletic in the final. This time, they will face Atletico Madrid, who withstood a fierce challenge from Barcelona on Tuesday to secure their place in the prestigious match at La Cartuja.