Real Sociedad beat Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday following a 2-2 draw after extra time, with goalkeeper Unai Marrero saving two spot kicks in the shootout to help his side win the trophy for the fourth time.
Sociedad last won the Cup in 2021, when the delayed 2020 final was also played at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville, but there were no supporters present due to the COVID pandemic.
This time, the Basque side’s fans were behind the goal to witness Marrero save Atletico’s first two penalties from Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez.
Atletico keeper Juan Musso then stopped Orri Oskarsson’s kick, but Pablo Marin kept his nerve to net the winning penalty.
“I tried to clear my mind. Calm and serene,” Marin told RTVE. “Real is my life. I’ve lived here since I was a child. This is the greatest thing I could ever dream of – winning a title with the team of my life.”
The last time the two sides met in the final was 1987, when it also finished 2-2 with Sociedad coming out on top on penalties, and they repeated the job to deny Atletico, who were looking for their first Copa del Rey win since 2013.
Ander Barrenetxea had given Sociedad the lead after 14 seconds, but Ademola Lookman levelled in the 19th minute. Mikel Oyarzabal then put the Basque side back in front with a penalty on the stroke of halftime.
Alvarez drew Atletico level, with seven minutes remaining, to force the extra period in a dramatic final.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico were fresh from reaching the Champions League semifinals, but Sociedad, managed by American Pellegrino Matarazzo, triumphed despite twice losing the lead.
Sociedad stunned Atletico from the start. After a punt downfield from Marrero, Goncalo Guedes crossed into the box, and Barrenetxea rose above his marker to send a looping header beyond Musso.
Atletico levelled with Lookman collecting a pass from Antoine Griezmann and sending a precise low strike through the legs of a defender and into the far bottom corner.
Some Sociedad fans were celebrating, as they thought their side had retaken the lead when Guedes’s deflected shot flew into the side netting, but when Musso later fouled Guedes, captain Oyarzabal converted the penalty in first-half added time.
“I’ve never walked on water, but it must feel something like this,” said Oyarzabal, who scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot when his side won their last Copa.
Sociedad looked like hanging on until Alvarez struck an unstoppable shot from just inside the area, letting Thiago Almada’s pass through his legs before turning to send the ball into the top corner.
In the opening period of extra time, Musso pulled off a double-save from Luka Sucic and Oskarsson, with Alvarez hitting the upright at the other end, as both sides created chances before running out of steam, and penalties beckoned.
Marrero danced across his line as the Atletico players lined up their penalties, and his mind games paid off.
“I knew that if it went to penalties, I had a lot of confidence in myself,” he said.
“The team and the fans did, too. I still can’t believe it.”
Matarazzo has worked a remarkable turnaround at Sociedad since taking over in December, with the club hovering above the relegation zone but now seventh in the standings and, even more importantly, with a trophy to show for their work.
Simeone’s Atletico have one final chance of silverware, with a last-four meeting against Arsenal in the Champions League.
“We have a beautiful challenge ahead of us. We want the Champions League, and we’ll do everything possible to win it,” Atletico captain Koke said. “But tonight is a sad night.”
