In Seville. Athletic will be in the Cup final again after leaving Atlético de Madrid in the gutter. Mallorca awaits the lions in the event scheduled for April 6 in La Cartuja. There is still plenty of time ahead to think about that decisive meeting.
Valverde’s men completed yesterday in San Mamés the work they started a few weeks before in the Metropolitano. The colchoneros, a rival in the Champions League, made clear their intention to look for a comeback from 0-1 in the first leg in the opposite field, but they collapsed in front of a consistent and solid wall of Bilbao. The lions, what was the difference in last year’s semi against Osasuna in this same setting, also showed the punch typical of champions.
His first three appearances have been two goals with Williams as the stars. The oldest scored first after a pass from the little one. Then the little one will pass by the big brother. A powerful blow, without a doubt, for a rival who, despite what the final 3-0 might suggest, tried to have it his way from the first minute.
The Lions are again on the verge of winning a title nearly a quarter of a century later. The test has not been done in recent years. This time, yes, their passage to the grand final bears the stamp of great champions. All that’s left is to finish the job.
Three changes
Valverde approached the game with three changes compared to the starting eleven that had just started at Villamarín. Agirrezabala, in the manner and manner of what is happening in the Cup, formed under the sticks at the expense of Unai Simón; Lekue, recovered, came in for Yuri, wounded, on the left side; and Iñaki Williams returns to the right wing with his brother moving to the left and Berenguer on the bench. Repeat Galarreta and Beñat Prados in the double pivot.
Simeone chose this time to play in a defense of four with Molina on the right wing and Hermoso on the other side. The next novelty comes from the presence of Llorente in the middle of the field instead of the expected Barrios. With Griezmann in the stands due to injury, Correa and Morata shared the lead.
Atlético started better than Athletic. With the clearest idea, the spaces are covered well, even approaching Agirrezabala’s domain, giving a sense of danger. Lino and Hermoso had their options before the tenth minute.
Valverde’s men never needed to get on the scoreboard. Nico Williams plays and the ball into the net driven by his brother Iñaki in the 13th minute. The dynamics of the match did not change from there. The Lions, trailing behind, came close to scoring the second on a play in which Williams switched roles.
Morata and Correa, at the insistence of the colchoneros, again had their options to close the gap, but far from achieving it they saw how the brothers Iñaki and Nico, this time, made it 2-0 in on the brink of half-time. The older one made an attempt on his side and crossed for the little one to finish from point-blank range. A tie was almost impossible for an Atlético who had just lost 0-1 in the first leg.
The start of the second half made it clear that the Lions were in the process of being judged, if not already, on the fast track. Nico, Sancet and Guruzeta are in their boots, but they miss the target. Simeone chose to gamble with a triple change: Reinildo, Barrios and Memphis. Far from blinking, Athletic knew how to be strong at the back and took advantage of their next arrival against Oblak to prove their presence in the grand final. Guruzeta, in his place, is the author of the goal.
The colchoneros were subdued for a few minutes, but then they showed professionalism and pride in finding at least the so-called goal of honor. The lions, with Dani García, Unai Gómez, Berenguer, Yeray and Raúl García as freshmen, continued to do their thing until claiming victory. Seville awaits.
ATHLETIC
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ATLETICO MADRID
Athletic: Agirrezabala; De Marcos (Yeray, m.89), Vivian, Paredes, Lekue; Galarreta (Dani García, m.68), Vesga; Iñaki Williams (Berenguer, m.80), Sancet (Unai Gómez, m.80), Nico Williams; and Guruzeta (Raúl García, d.89).
Athletic: Oblak; Nahuel Molina (Barrios, m.54), Savic, Witsel, Hermoso (Reinildo, m.54), Lino (Riquelme, m.72); Llorente, Koke (Saúl, m.65), De Paul; Correa (Memphis, m.54) and Morata.
The objectives: 1-0, m.13: Iñaki Williams. 2-0, m.42: Nico Williams. 3-0, m,61: Guruzeta.
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera (Valencian Committee). He showed yellow cards to locals Galarreta (m.40), Muniain (on the bench, m.47), Lekue (m.66), De Marcos (m.74), and the visitor Hermoso (m.28 ). ).
VAR referee: Eduardo Prieto Iglesias (Navarro Committee).
Happenings: The second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals was played in San Mamés before 52,061 spectators, a stadium record. Official data. About 600 visiting followers. The game was stopped half an hour into the first half to attend to an unwell spectator. And the start of the second one was delayed for the same reason.
see the match sheet
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
