Athletic Bilbao ended a 40-year wait to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday by beating RCD Mallorca 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
The Basque side lifted the trophy for the 24th time, behind only 31-time winners Barcelona, as they edged underdogs RCD Mallorca at La Cartuja stadium in Seville.
Dani Rodriguez sent Mallorca ahead in the first half, but Oihan Sancet leveled soon after the break and the sides could not be separated until penalties.
Photo: AFP
Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saved Manu Morlanes’ penalty and Mallorca’s Nemanja Radonjic lashed another spot-kick over the bar, with Athletic converting all four of theirs to triumph.
Alex Berenguer stroked home the winning penalty to spark wild celebrations among the hordes of supporters traveling from Basque.
Athletic, defeated in their six previous appearances in the final, brought an era of almosts to a close with a hard-fought win.
Having beaten Barcelona and Atletico Madrid en route to the final, Los Leones were able to secure the club’s first major trophy since a domestic league and cup double in 1984.
“This is incredible, we’ve made history,” man-of-the-match Nico Williams told TVE.
“The team worked hard, the fans are always with us and they deserve it, I’ve dreamed of this for a long time,” he said.
Mallorca, winners in 2003, had started stronger and target man Vedat Muriqi’s long-range effort was tipped over uncertainly by Agirrezabala.
In the final for the fourth time, the islanders took the lead after 21 minutes through Rodriguez’s perfectly placed finish.
After Giovanni Gonzalez’s shot was blocked and Jose Copete’s effort was saved, Rodriguez carefully placed the ball into the top corner, past Athletic’s Dani Vivian on the line.
When Los Leones did create anything it came from the outstanding Williams, and he slotted home after 39 minutes, but was offside.
Yuri Berchiche blocked well to deny Copete as Mallorca had a sight of goal for their second, before Williams fired into the side netting after breaking into the area.
Agirrezabala thwarted Canada international Cyle Larin early in the second half before Athletic found the equalizer.
Again Williams was heavily involved, sliding a pass into the box for Sancet to gleefully stroke beyond Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif to delight Athletic’s raucous traveling support.
A brilliant dribble by Williams almost helped the Basques take the lead, but his cross flashed through his brother Inaki Williams’ legs, with the Ghana international unable to react in time to finish.
Greif beat away a Vivian piledriver late on and Gorka Guruzeta headed narrowly wide, but the teams could not be split before extra time.
Nico Williams had a shot from close range brilliantly deflected wide by the lunging Pablo Maffeo after 111 minutes.
At the other end Agirrezabala was alert to shovel away Muriqi’s header, with the Kosovo striker sporting a large bandage after a painful clash of heads with Unai Gomez.
What followed in the shoot-out was more painful still for Muriqi, who converted his penalty, but his teammates could not follow suit.
“I’m emotional because I’m proud of my teammates and of the fans who came here,” Rodriguez told TVE. “It was a dream to lift this cup and we tried until the end.”
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