02/04/26 04:49:00
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02/04 16:47 CST Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad both score late to make it to
Copa del Rey semifinals
Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad both score late to make it to Copa del Rey
semifinals
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) --- Iaki Williams scored six minutes into stoppage time as
Athletic Bilbao won 2-1 at Valencia to reach the semifinals of the Copa del Rey
on Wednesday, and its Basque Country rival Real Sociedad made it to the
last-four by winning 3-2 at Alaves.
Athletic will be playing in its sixth Copa semifinal in seven seasons. It won
the title in 2024 and was runner-up to Barcelona in 2020-21 and to Sociedad in
2019-20.
Williams scored the winning goal with a left-footed strike from the middle of
the area after a cross by his younger brother Nico Williams following a
breakaway.
Athletic, which was winless in three matches across all competitions, had taken
the lead in the 26th after an own-goal by Umar Sadiq, who also equalized for
the hosts in the 35th.
Athletic's Mikel Jauregizar missed a 75th-minute penalty.
Before the match, Spanish media reported that fans threw several objects at the
bus carrying Athletic's players.
The victory comes a few days after a mural with drawings of Iaki and Nico
Williams was vandalized in Bilbao, where some fans have criticized them.
Sociedad's triumph
Young Iceland forward Orri Oskarsson scored an 80th-minute winner for Sociedad,
which will be playing in the semifinals for the third straight season. It last
reached the Copa final when it won the competition in 2019-20.
Abde Rebbach put the hosts ahead in the eighth minute before Mikel Oyarzabal
equalized for Sociedad in the 15th. Alaves moved back ahead with a penalty
converted by Toni Martnez in the 29th but Gonalo Guedes evened the match
again in the 76th.
Martnez missed a 67th-minute penalty.
Sociedad is unbeaten since losing 2-1 at home to Girona in the Spanish league
in December. It was coming off a 1-1 draw at Athletic in the league on Sunday.
Alaves, which lost the 2016-17 Copa final to Barcelona, hadn't made it to the
quarterfinals since 2017-18. It was coming off two straight Spanish league wins.
On Tuesday, Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo scored in each half as Barcelona
beat second-division Albacete 2-1. Albacete had shocked Real Madrid in the
round of 16, eliminating the Spanish powerhouse in what was the debut of new
coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
On Thursday, Real Betis hosts Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
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