Athletic Bilbao secured a decisive victory over Atletico Madrid, paving the way for a Copa del Rey final clash against Mallorca scheduled for April 6th.
In the first leg on February 7th, Alejandro Berenguer’s first-half penalty propelled Athletic to a 1-0 triumph on the road.
Their advantage doubled in the home second leg after just 13 minutes when Nico Williams assisted Inaki Williams.
The duo combined once more for the second goal, with Nico Williams finding the net just before halftime, while Gorka Guruzeta sealed the deal, securing a 4-0 aggregate victory.
The record-breaking attendance of 52,061 at San Mames witnessed the second leg, which experienced a delayed restart after halftime due to a medical emergency in the stands.
In a post on X, Athletic wrote: “A person was asphyxiating and, thanks to the medical services, was stabilised and taken to hospital.”
The final match will take place at Estadio La Cartuja in Seville, where the victorious team will secure a spot in the Europa League group stage for the 2024-25 season.
Mallorca clinched the Copa del Rey title in 2003, overcoming previous final defeats in 1991 and 1998. They advanced to this year’s final through a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Real Sociedad, with the aggregate score tied at 1-1 after the second leg.
Currently positioned 16th in La Liga, Mallorca sits precariously six points above the relegation zone. In contrast, Athletic holds the fifth spot, trailing Atletico Madrid by one position.
With a rich history of 23 Copa del Rey victories, Athletic triumphed over Barcelona with a 4-2 scoreline in the quarter-finals, following Atletico’s earlier 4-2 victory over Real Madrid in the previous round.