Athletic Bilbao convincingly defeated Atletico Madrid to secure their place in the Copa del Rey final against Mallorca on 6 April.
In the first leg on 7 February, Alejandro Berenguer’s first-half penalty earned Athletic a 1-0 away victory.
Expanding their lead early in the second leg, Athletic took control with Nico Williams setting up Inaki Williams for a goal after just 13 minutes. The duo struck again before halftime, with Nico Williams finding the net, and Gorka Guruzeta later sealed the 4-0 aggregate victory.
The highly anticipated second leg, played at San Mames in front of 52,061 spectators, marked the highest attendance in Athletic’s history. However, the match was momentarily halted due to a medical emergency in the stands.
Following the incident, Athletic shared a post stating, “A person was asphyxiating and, thanks to the medical services, was stabilized and taken to hospital.”
The final will take place at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville, with the winners earning a spot in the Europa League group stage for the 2024-25 season.
Mallorca, the opponent in the final, clinched their place with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Real Sociedad after the aggregate score ended 1-1. Currently positioned 16th in La Liga, Mallorca faces a relegation battle, while Athletic sits in fifth place, trailing Atletico Madrid by one spot.
Having won the Copa del Rey 23 times, Athletic Bilbao’s journey to the final included a 4-2 triumph over Barcelona in the quarter-finals, while Atletico Madrid overcame Real Madrid by the same scoreline in an earlier round.
