Football news - Real Sociedad edge Athletic Bilbao to win Copa del Rey final
ByReuters
Published 03/04/2021 at 21:45 GMT
Basque sides Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao faced one another in the 2020 Copa del Rey final - delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic - on Saturday night in Sevilla. Sociedad grabbed the winner through their forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored from a 64th minute penalty for the only goal of the game.
Mikel Oyarzabal
Image credit: Getty Images
Real Sociedad beat local rivals Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in the rescheduled 2020 Copa del Rey final on Saturday to get their hands on a major trophy after 34 years.
Captain Mikel Oyarzabal netted the winner by sending keeper Unai Simon the wrong way from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute after strike partner Portu was felled in the area by Athletic defender Inigo Martinez.
Martinez, a boyhood Sociedad player who left for their rivals for 32 million euros in a controversial transfer in 2018, was initially shown a red card for the foul but the referee downgraded the punishment to a yellow card after a VAR review.
Sociedad dominated possession and Athletic failed to test their opponents on the counter-attack, still offering little in attack even as they chased the game deep into the second half.
The match was postponed by a year at the request of both clubs to ensure fans could attend but continued coronavirus restrictions in Spain meant the showpiece in Seville's La Cartuja stadium took place without any supporters.
Athletic have now lost their last five Copa finals but have another shot at the trophy when they play Barcelona in this season's showpiece back at La Cartuja on April 17.
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