Real Sociedad upset Atlético Madrid to win their fourth Copa del Rey title after triumphing 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw after extra time in Seville.
Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero‘s saves from Atletico strikers Alexander Sørloth and Julián Álvarez to start the shootout proved decisive, before Pablo Marín struck the winning penalty into the roof of the net.
“I knew that if we got to penalties, I believed in myself, my teammates believed in me, our fans believed in me,” the 24-year-old Marrero said before the winners received the trophy and medals from Spanish King Felipe VI.
“I still can’t believe it,” Marrero said. “The boy who dreamed for this since he was young has fulfilled his dream.”
The win gave the team from San Sebastian its first trophy since winning the Copa del Rey in 2020. It also meant that its New-Jersey born head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo becomes the first coach from the United States to win a major trophy in one of Europe’s big five leagues.
Ander Barrenetxea put Sociedad in front just 14 seconds after kickoff for the fastest-ever goal in a Copa del Rey final. Ademola Lookman equalised in the 18th minute but Mikel Oyarzabal‘s penalty in first-half stoppage time look set to be the winner until Álvarez struck for Atlético seven minutes before the end of regulation time.
Matarazzo took over Sociedad in December when it was two points above the relegation zone in the Spanish league. Four months later, the Basque Country club has won the cup and is in the upper half of the LaLiga table.
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The opening goal against Atlético’s vaunted defense was about as simple as they come: ball to goalkeeper, long ball down the right flank, where Gonçalo Guedes was free to send in a cross for Ander Barrenetxea to head it home.
The sequence exposed a series of less-than-ideal defending. Neither Nahuel Molina nor Giuliano Simeone intercepted reachable balls; Matteo Ruggeri let the shorter Barrenetxea outjump him for the header; and goalkeeper Juan Musso perhaps could have made a more sprightly effort to stop the shot from bouncing past.
Lookman again proved the most-impactful winter signing by a Spanish side — his goal was his seventh for Atlético — when the former Atalanta forward received a pass from Antoine Griezmann just inside the area and sent a left-footed shot inside the post.
Oyarzabal went to the spot after Musso slammed into Guedes while disputing a high ball in the box. Oyarzabal lived up to his reputation as a penalty expert, slotting his try home. The Spain striker also scored a penalty for the only goal in the 2020 cup final against Athletic Club.
Sociedad was in control and only minutes away from the title when Atletico finally mounted a good team move to unsettle Sociedad’s defense for the first time and set up Álvarez in the second half.
Musso made up for his earlier mistakes by making back-to-back saves in extra time. Otherwise, Atlético created several chances it couldn’t finish off to get the title-clinching goal.
Then it was Marrero’s turn to shine as he guessed right on the first two penalties by Atlético’s strikers.
“The team did all it could to turn this around, we were behind right from the start and did what we could,” Atletico’s veteran midfielder Koke said. “It is a difficult night. Thanks to all our fans who traveled with us.”
Griezmann will now need to help steer Atletico past Arsenal in the European semifinals to have another shot at finishing his final season in Spain with a title before the club’s all-time leading scorer joins Orlando City in the MLS next season.
“We want to win the Champions League,” Koke said. “But tonight is a hard night. We will have time to think about the Champions League.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
