Real Sociedad edges Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in Copa del Rey semifinal first leg

Madrid – Real Sociedad drew first blood in the Basque Country derby, defeating Athletic Bilbao 1-0 at San Mamés Stadium on Wednesday to seize the early advantage in the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Midfielder Beñat Turrientes broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute, steering home a close-range finish that sent the traveling supporters into raptures and left the home crowd stunned. The slender lead gives Sociedad a precious edge ahead of the return leg, scheduled for March.

The victory extends Sociedad’s recent dominance over their neighbors; Athletic has now gone four consecutive matches without a win against the Txuri-Urdin, having previously recorded back-to-back victories. Wednesday’s result also keeps alive Sociedad’s dream of returning to the final for the first time since their triumphant 2019-20 campaign, when they lifted the trophy for the third time in club history.

Athletic, meanwhile, will need to summon a swift response. The Lions are competing in their sixth Copa semifinal in seven seasons and arrived at this stage after Iñaki Williams’s dramatic stoppage-time winner at Valencia sealed a 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals. Having claimed the competition last season and finished runner-up to Barcelona in 2020-21 and to Sociedad in 2019-20, Ernesto Valverde’s side is no stranger to high-stakes knockout football. With a record 24 Copa titles—second only to Barcelona’s 32—they remain determined to add another.

Sociedad booked their semifinal berth by overcoming Alavés 3-2 on the road and are appearing in their third consecutive Copa semifinal. The return leg at Reale Arena promises to be a tense affair, with the winner advancing to face either Barcelona or Atlético Madrid, who meet in the first leg of their semifinal on Thursday. Barcelona, the defending champions, have reached the last four in four straight seasons, while Atlético are in the semifinals for the third year running and last captured the trophy in 2019-20.