Wayne Lumbasi
Athletic Bilbao reached their third consecutive Copa Del Reysemi-final after a last-gasp win over a lacklustre Real Madrid side at San Mames.
Alex Berenguer’s scintillating strike after a Casemiro’s mistake was enough to seal a shock 1-0 victory at San Mames and send Athletic through to the semi-finals.
Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla already out, Madrid were firm favourites to win the Copa del Rey while in La Liga, they are in the driving seat too, sitting four points ahead of Sevilla at the top of the table. Real Madrid has suffered defeat in the quarter-final stage of the competition for the fourth time since 2016.
Real Madrid struggled to create chances without the injured Karim Benzema. The Brazilian trio of Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Casemiro played on their return from international duty but looked off the pace.
Vinícius was substituted early in the second half, before Casemiro’s misplaced pass allowed Berenguer the chance to score. Real Madrid will now have to fully focus on their bid to win the LaLiga title after exiting the Cup.
Athletic will join Rayo Vallecano, Valencia and Real Betis in Friday’s semifinal draw.
Recent Comments