Athletic Club 0-1 Real Sociedad: result, summary, goal

Congratulations to Real Sociedad and commiserations to Athletic who will be back in La Cartuja in two weeks.

That's it .... the whistle sounds and Real Sociedad are the 2019/20 Copa del Rey winners !!!!!!!

La Real Campeon!

Athletic do get another tilt at cup glory as they face Barcelona in two weeks time at the same venue in the 2020/21 final.

Two minutes remain. La Real holding firm as Athletic resort to long balls.

Nerves palpable with La Real sensing cup glory is moments away as Athletic look for a late reply. 

Iñigo Martinez gets a header on target but very tame and easy for the Real Sociedad keeper to grab.

Gorosabel off with Elustondo taking his place

Yuri off for Capa (Athletic)

Given the 90 plus minutes tonight, La Real are worthy winners despite the game being far from a classic.

We'll have 8 (eight) minutes of time added on.

Carlos Fernandez almost latches onto an Ander assist but Unai Simon grabs the ball at the second time of asking

Raul Garcia another Athletic player who has been awol in the second half.

Carlos Fernandez on for Isak. Portu makes way for Ander.

Two more changes coming up from La Real

Munain down with cramp. La Real holding out with little problems ....

David Silva set to be subbed by Imanol. Guevara his replacement.

Everything being appealed for by both sides now. Villalibre finds Yuri and the ball clatters into two blue and white shirts. The tension levels are rising now as the clock shows 83' plus played.

Isak has been excellent tonight with the Swedish striker tireless in chasing down loose balls and denying Athletic defenders from having time and composure on the ball.

Into the final ten of normal time and Athletic finally showing a degree of intensity as the clock ticks down.

Munain to take an Athletic corner and La Real just hoof the ball away from the dander zone.

We will have a hefty chunk of time added on though after the two VAR delays.

Into the final 15 of the game. Athletic very disappointing so far in the second half with Real Sociedad good value for their lead.

Vesga and Villalibre set to make an entrance with Dani Garcia and Berenguer off

More changes imminent from Marcelino....

Williams and Munain have been very discreet in this half. Athletic yet to forge forward and create anything.

Card for Merino as he trips Yeray.

Real Sociedad very much in control now with Remiro yet to get involved in the second 45' with Athletic pegged back

Vencedor makes way for Unai Lopez, first change of the night.

Real Sociedad buoyed by the goal and applying serious pressure to the Athletic goal now as Marcelino sets to make his first change of the night. 

Isak hits and drives the ball into the wall. Poor effort from the Swedish striker.

Dangerous freekick now for Real Sociedad, right on the edge of the box. Danger again for Athletic, Oyarzabal to take.

La Real take the lead in Seville.

Martinez is back on the pitch with the red card being changed for a yellow.

Two huge talking points at the start of this second half. Oyarzabal is the normal spot kick taker but has missed three of his last four. The ref. is going to consult the monitor now as the drama continues.

VAR is revising the incident too.

Portu does go down easily but there was a degree of contact.

Penalty for Real Sociedad and a straight red for Martinez

David Silva is still a joy to watch !

After the drama of the possible penalty, the game has reverted to the tense match we saw in the first 45'.  La Real happy creating play and Athletic happy to let the San Sebastian side enjoy that creative process. Certainly looks like a solitary goal could decide this cagey final.

Poor hit from the Real Sociedad captain and Raul Garcia clears the danger.

Free-kick on the edge of the box is the decision. Oyarzabal to take.

Still waiting for the VAR decision ... it was a borderline decision and still not crystal clear from the various repeats.

Iñigo Martinez handles and the incident has taken place right on the line of the Athletic box. VAR to be consulted no doubt. Possible penalty...

No changes at the interval.

Athletic will get the second half under way

Nice detail from Athletic with shirts decked out in the stands from all the players (and manager) who took Athletic to tonight's final and who are no longer with the club (San Jose, Cordoba, Aduriz and coach Garitano among others)

The teams slowly making their way back to the La Cartuja pitch. Still all to play for in the second half with the fear factor of losing certainly weighing heavy on both clubs.

The whistle sounds for the end of the first half. A cagey affair with both teams showing a huge degree of mutual respect. Iñigo Martinez had the best chance of the night with his fine right footed strike being tipped over by Remiro.

We'll have one min. of time to be added on at the end of the half.

We've seen little from Iñaki Williams so far tonight. In normal circumstances the Athletic striker is a major source of danger for rival teams.

Isak almost gets on a cross but once again the Athletic defence are on hand to avert the danger.

Former Athletic striker Aritz Aduriz is with his former team-mates in the stand tonight. The veteran striker was instrumental in Athletic getting to the final and will be hoping for a win for his side tonight. A serious hip injury forced the forward to retire from the game last year.

Drifting towards the interval and the effort from Iñigo Martinez remains the closest we've come to a goal this evening.

Dani Garcia carded for a barge on Portu.

Best chance of the evening falling to to the central defender and a fine save from Remiro too in the La Real goal.

Remiro saves and Iñigo Martinez almost opens the scoring with a fine right footed effort.

Athletic press now and the ball falls to Munain who heads over but with the ball deflected, yet another Athletic corner.

Munain breaks into the area and over complicates things but secures a corner for his side. Vencedor overhits his pass and the move breaks down.

Merino and Vencedor clash with both players on the pitch suffering following the impact. Marcelino screaming for a yellow for the R. Sociedad player.

La Real certainly the side enjoying the better of the game presently after a brief spell when Los Leones were on top. Still nothing resembling a clear-cut scoring chance with both sides showing copious amounts of mutual respect.

The intensity of the rain seems to have abated as both managers emerge from their respective dug-outs to give instructions as La Real press inside the Athletic box.

Real Sociedad dominate possession-wise in the opening 20 minutes.

La Real press and a dangerous ball just misses Isak as Yeray opts to clear for a R. Sociedad corner.

Athletic starting to impose themselves on the game now with longer spells of possession. Remiro still not to be really stretched in the Real Sociedad goal.

Unai Simon in goal for Athletic tonight, fresh from three games with the Spain national team and the Bilbao stopper very much Luis Enrique's No. 1.

Real Sociedad in pregame mode before the heavens opened

Athletic pre-game hug

Ten minute mark and still a cagey start from both teams. Isak breaks into the area for La Real and Athletic launch a counter as Williams finds Raul Garcia who fires and forces Remiro to save.

Both sides still feeling their way into the game with neither keeper yet to be tested. The bulk of the play so far has been in the central area. A few of the players have opted to change their boots, opting for a longer stud to deal with the current deluge.

The rain really is hammering down in Seville just as the game started.

Both keeper opting to play the ball short with La Real now enjoying the better of the action.

Light rain just starting to fall in Seville ... just to make the two Basque sides feel at home !

The Basque Country is synonomous for it's wet weather!

Frantic start to the action with Iñaki Williams just unable to keep the ball in play. Athletic on the ball more than their San Sebastian rivals.

All set. The 2019/20 Copa del Rey final is off and running

Oyarzabal and Munain take the toss. Tonight's match official is Estrada Fernández and for the latter stages of the Copa del Rey, we have VAR.

The game will be preceded by the Spanish national anthem with the King just taking his seat in the stand.

The teams are in the tunnel just waiting the final instructions from the match delegates. Athletic in their classic red and white stripes/black shorts. La Real in blue and white ....

La Real warming up on the La Cartuja pitch with kick-off just minutes away

We asked our Twitter followers and they too see the game tilting the way of the men from Bilbao.

AS English predictions:

We've looked into our crystal ball and this is how we see the final going:

Paul: Athletic 1-2 R.Soc

Fidel: Athletic 1-1 R.Soc

Kieran: Athletic 2-1 R.Soc

Athletic coach Marcelino is now stranger to Copa del Rey wins, he last lifted the cup with Valencia (the current holders) beating Barça in the final and many point to that success as an instrumental part in sacking as VCF manager.

Athletic Club will be back at La Cartuja in a fortnight when they face FC Barcelona in the 2020/21 Copa final. Both sides progressed with Levante and Sevilla the beaten semi-finalists.

Going back to late February/March of last year, Real Sociedad progressed to the final after despatching 2a side Mirandés with Athletic progressing vs. Granada on the away goals rule.

Unlike many other derby games played around the world, there is generally a very good relationship between fans of both sides and match-days are civic affairs with Athletic Club red and white shirts mingling with the blue and white of La Real.

Oyarzabal or Williams.

Which player will taste Copa del Rey glory tonight?

(pic via Panini ES)

Much has been made of Athletic Club's 'Basque only' policy. Copa 90 captured the essence of local pride with this fine documentary on the club a few years ago.

Social distancing was somewhat absent too when fans of both teams gave their sides a send off earlier in the week. Scenes that have caused many politicians to criticise the responsibility of both sets of fans.

Ahead of tonight's final, there were some pretty unsavoury scenes in central Bilbao today as fans burnt rubbish containers and attacked local police. Social distancing was a feature sadly lacking too.

With less than an hour to kick-off, La Cartuja is ready

Imanol starts with this XI for La Real:

Team news .... Athletic XI:

There was some speculation some weeks ago that 10,000 local fans could attend the game but Spanish Health Minster Carolina Darias quickly refuted the idea that such a number could attend the event and ultimately, tonight's game will be a 'behind closed doors affair'.

The last time both Basque giants faced one another in a cup final was 110 years ago with Athletic beating their neighbours from San Sebastian 1-0 at Ondarreta

Both Athletic and Rel Sociedad presidents were anxious to wait until their fans could attend the big game but the constraints of covid-19 restrictions and a bloated fixture list – Athletic will take on Barcelona in the 2020-21 final in two weeks’ time – have resulted in a behind closed doors encounter in Seville’s Estadio de la Cartuja.

Athletic have already tasted cup success this season after seeing off Real Madrid and Barcelona to lift the Spanish Super Cup and Los Leones are the second most-successful side in Copa del Rey history with 23 titles from a total of 39 finals contested. Madrid have played the same number of finals on their way to 19 titles while Barcelona hold the outright record with 30 victories overall and 42 appearances in the final.

Real Sociedad too wil be keen to add to their two cup wins with the Donosti side champions in 1909 and more recently in the 1986/87 season.

A massive occasion for both Basque clubs who are two of the best supported sides in Spanish football and it's a shame that tonight's game needs to be played behind closed doors with Spain trying to avoid a fourth covid wave.

Kick-off in Seville is at 21:30 CEST

Hello and a very warm welcome to our live coverage of the delayed 2019/20 Copa del Rey final from the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville as Basque rivals Athletic Club from Bilbao face San Sebastian's Real Sociedad.