Athletic Bilbao end a wait of 40 years to win Copa del Rey | Football News – Times of India
[ad_1]
In a showdown at La Cartuja stadium in Seville, the Basque squad claimed their 24th trophy, trailing only behind Barcelona’s 31 titles, by narrowly overcoming the underdog challenge from Mallorca.
The match saw Dani Rodriguez putting Mallorca in the lead in the first half, swiftly countered by Oihan Sancet’s equalizer after the break, leading to a deadlock until the decisive penalty shootout.
Julen Agirrezabala, Athletic’s goalkeeper, emerged as a hero by thwarting Manu Morlanes’ penalty, while Nemanja Radonjic’s miss from the spot further favored Athletic, who converted all four of their penalties to clinch victory.
Alex Berenguer sealed the triumph with a composed finish from the spot, igniting euphoric celebrations among the traveling Basque supporters.
For Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic, who had previously faced six defeats in the final, this hard-earned victory marked the end of a series of near misses.
Having eliminated powerhouses like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid en route to the final, Los Leones secured their first major trophy since claiming a domestic league and cup double in 1984.
“This is incredible, we’ve made history,” man-of-the-match Nico Williams told TVE. “The team worked hard, the fans are always with us and they deserve it, I’ve dreamed of this for a long time.”
Athletic, whose players famously celebrated on a boat named the ‘Gabarra’ following their last victory, will have the opportunity to revive the tradition once more next week.
“I’m so excited (for that), I am so happy, this is the club of my life,” added the Spanish winger, who taunted Mallorca with his dribbling all night.
Mallorca, champions in 2003, began the game with vigor, as target man Vedat Muriqi’s long-range attempt was nervously tipped over by Agirrezabala.
Appearing in the final for the fourth time, the islanders seized the lead in the 21st minute courtesy of Rodriguez’s expertly placed strike.
Despite Giovanni Gonzalez’s blocked shot and Jose Copete’s saved attempt, Rodriguez skillfully found the top corner, eluding Athletic’s Dani Vivian stationed on the goal line.
While Los Leones struggled to create chances, the exceptional Nico Williams stood out, albeit his 39th-minute goal was ruled offside.
Yuri Berchiche made a crucial block to deny Copete as Mallorca eyed their second goal, while Nico Williams narrowly missed the target after a promising run into the box.
Agirrezabala denied Canadian international Cyle Larin early in the second half before Athletic leveled the score.
Once again, Nico Williams played a pivotal role, delivering a pass into the box for Sancet to confidently slot home past Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif, much to the delight of Athletic’s passionate traveling fans.
A superb run by Nico Williams nearly saw the Basques take the lead, but his cross narrowly eluded his brother Inaki Williams, with the latter unable to capitalize.
Greif parried away a powerful shot from Vivian late in the game, and Gorka Guruzeta’s header missed narrowly, leaving the teams deadlocked at full time.
Nico Williams saw his close-range effort brilliantly deflected wide by Pablo Maffeo in the 111th minute of extra time.
On the other end, Agirrezabala was quick to deny Muriqi’s header, with the Kosovo striker sporting a bandage after a clash of heads with Unai Gomez.
The subsequent penalty shootout brought further agony for Muriqi, who converted his spot-kick, but unfortunately for him, his teammates failed to follow suit.
“I’m emotional because I’m proud of my team-mates and of the fans who came here,” Rodriguez told TVE. “It was a dream to lift this cup and we tried until the end.”
(With AFP inputs)
