Atletico Madrid are back in the Copa del Rey semi-finals after seven years following their 1-0 win over Sevilla in stoppage-time on Thursday.
They reached the last four for the first time since 2017 thanks to Memphis Depay’s goal in the second half and a video review calling back a penalty for Sevilla.
Atletico Madrid join Athletic Bilbao, RCD Mallorca and Real Sociedad in the semi-finals, with the home-and-away series to be determined after press time last night.
Photo: AFP
“We expected a tight match like this, with few scoring chances, but in the end we found a way to break through and get the victory, which is the only thing that matters,” Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak said. “Hopefully we can win this Copa title again after so many years.”
Sevilla thought that they had a chance to send the match into extra time when Erik Lamela was brought down inside the area by Pablo Barrios five minutes into stoppage-time, but the referee was called by video review and eventually determined there was no foul.
“It was a tough match, a lot of things happened,” Sevilla defender Marcao said. “If I say what I think here, I’ll be suspended for two or three months.”
Photo: AFP
The loss dealt another blow to Sevilla, who were coming off a 5-1 defeat to Girona in La Liga, where they sit just outside the relegation zone.
They have lost eight of their past 11 matches in all competitions.
Sevilla coach Quique Sanchez Flores said that Thursday’s match should not have been played after three Sevilla fans died in a car accident on their way to Madrid earlier in the day.
The coach attended the post-match news conference, but said he would not talk about the match, only send his condolences.
“We lost on a day in which we are mourning the loss of these fans who were coming to the match,” he said. “I don’t feel like making any analysis about the game.”
Atletico extended their unbeaten run at home to 26 matches since a 1-0 loss to Barcelona in January last year.
Diego Simeone’s team, seeking their first Copa title since 2013, eliminated defending champions Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Copa this season.
Depay came off the bench in the 66th minute and scored the winner in the 79th minute after a nice move by Angel Correa to get past a defender and feed the ball to his teammate inside the area.
Correa had also entered the match in the 66th minute, replacing Antoine Griezmann.
Griezmann, who recently became Atletico’s all-time leading scorer, had missed a 26th-minute penalty when he slipped and sent his shot from the spot way over the crossbar. The France international also had a goal disallowed for offside in the 60th minute.
Depay had a goal called back for offside in the 68th minute.
Veteran Sevilla defender Sergio Ramos had a clear chance to equalize in the 85th minute, but missed the open net from close range after a hard cross from the right side.
The former Real Madrid player, who was often jeered by Atletico fans at the Metropolitano, also had a chance with a header early in stoppage-time.
Sevilla have been in an extended slump, with one victory in their past 15 La Liga matches.
On Wednesday, Athletic Bilbao eliminated Barcelona 4-2 in extra time to make it to the semi, while La Liga leaders Girona lost 3-2 to Mallorca.
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