In a thrilling Copa del Rey semi-final, Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 5-4 on aggregate after two overtime periods to advance to the final.
Match summary: Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad (4-4)
Goalscorers:
- Real Madrid: Endrick (30′), Bellingham (82′), Chouameni (86′), Rüdiger (115′)
- Real Sociedad: Barrenetxea (16′), Araiza (own goal 72′), Oyarzabal (80′, 90’+3)
In the first leg, Real Madrid had the advantage thanks to a 1-0 away win. In this match, manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to leave Mbappé on the bench, a decision that cost Real Madrid in the early stages of the game. Just 16 minutes into the game, Real Sociedad’s Ander Barrenetxea scored a powerful shot past Real Madrid goalkeeper Andre Ruin to give the away team the lead.
Endrick steps up and Real Madrid equalize
In this match, the 18-year-old Brazilian striker Endrick started in place of Mbappé. He seized the opportunity in the 30th minute to lob Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro and equalize for Real Madrid (1-1). Nevertheless, Real Madrid’s performance in attack was not satisfactory. They managed 26 shots in total, 10 of which were on target, while Real Sociedad only managed 11 shots, five of which were on target.
Real Madrid concede through Real Sociedad’s defensive error and Real Sociedad take the lead again
Real Madrid repeatedly missed chances to score and were finally punished in the 72nd minute. Real Sociedad’s Marin crossed the ball in the penalty area, and the ball deflected off Alaba and into the net, giving Real Sociedad the lead again (2-1).
Just eight minutes later, Real Sociedad threatened again. Oyarzabal took a shot from about 17 meters outside the box, and the ball bounced off the post and into the goal, giving Real Sociedad a 3-1 lead and Real Madrid a desperate situation.
Bellingham and Chouameni combine as Real Madrid tenaciously equalizes
With little time left on the clock, Real Madrid finally had their moment to strike back. In the 82nd minute, Vinicius assisted Bellingham in the penalty area to score and reduce the score to 2-3.
Only four minutes later, Vinicius’s shot was parried by the goalkeeper, and Chouameni quickly scored the rebound, which hit the goalkeeper’s body before deflecting into the net, and Real Madrid drew level at 3-3.
In the added time Real Sociedad went ahead again
The referee added seven minutes to the second half. In the 90th minute, Oyarzabal headed in from a corner, giving Real Sociedad the lead again (4-3) towards the end of the game.
In extra time Real Madrid sealed the win
The match went into extra time with the aggregate score 4-4. Real Madrid played with more focus at this point, and Real Sociedad had to pull back their defense, with almost the entire team retreating.
In the 115th minute, Real Madrid central defender Rudiger headed home from a corner in the penalty area to equalize the score (4-4). Since Real Madrid won 1-0 in the first leg, this goal also directly sealed their victory, advancing with a total score of 5-4.
Real Madrid advance to the Copa del Rey final
With this hard-fought victory, Real Madrid avoided a penalty shootout. They will face the winner of the Copa del Rey semi-final between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the final on April 26. The two teams tied 4-4 in the first leg, and the second leg will be played on the evening of April 2.
Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad starting XI
Real Madrid:
Luin, Vazquez, Asensio, Alba, Karmavanga, Valverde, Chouameni, Bellingham, Rodrigo, Vinicius, Endrick.
Real Sociedad:
Remiro, Muñoz, Agirre, Zubeldia, Aranburu, Zubimendi, Marin, Susic, Barrenetxea, Kubo, Oyarzabal.
This match showed Real Madrid’s tenacity and ability to win against the odds. They managed to turn the tables after being on the verge of elimination and eventually advanced to the Copa del Rey final. The next final opponent will be either Atletico Madrid or Barcelona, and this matchup is also highly anticipated.
