Atlético Madrid have the chance to win their first Copa del Rey since 2013 when they take on Real Sociedad in this year’s final on Saturday night at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Sevilla.
After years of suffering eliminations to lower-league opposition, or being dramatically beaten in recent semi-finals, Atleti will go into the final as favourites against the side from San Sebastián.
Atleti’s road to the final
Diego Simeone has shown a clear intention to take this competition seriously this season, with each tie showing an improvement
from the last.
A clunky win away to Atlético Baleares started off the road to the final, before a successful trip up to Galicia saw Deportivo La Coruña dispatched with minimal fuss.
Los Rojiblancos then turned on the style with a 5-0 win at Real Betis who are playing this campaign at the scene of this Saturday’s final. That night saw Ademola Lookman make his debut and kickstart his Atleti career, which has since been stellar.
The two-legged semi-finals brought a familiar foe to the table in the shape of FC Barcelona, but any worries were annuled not long after the first leg got underway. Atleti raced into a 4-0 lead and all looked said and done, only for Barça to put on a masterclass back up north which almost saw the deficit overturned.
The return match finished 3-0 to the Catalans, meaning Atleti squirmed through to the final by the skin of their teeth.
Antoine Griezmann has been the star player in this year’s Copa, scoring in each tie and playing a pivotal role throughout. His free-kick in the round of 16 against Depor was the turning point in his season that saw him work his way back into Simeone’s starting lineup.
In what is his final season in Madrid, Griezmann has the chance to go out in the perfect way by delivering the famous trophy back in the hands of the Atleti faithful, something he hasn’t been able to do in any competition since the 2018 UEFA Europa League.
La Real’s road to the final
The Txuri-Urdin have seen their season completely turned on its head since the arrival of New Jersey’s Rino Matarazzo to the touchline in December, which happened to coincide with the bulk of the Copa del Rey rounds.
La Real entered the competition a round earlier than Atleti, starting their campaign in early December with a 2-0 win at Reús. They then squeezed past Second Division side Eldense with a stoppage time winner before beating Javi Galán’s Osasuna on penalties in the round of 16.
In the quarters, it was another local rival who they came up against, as La Real rallied to win 3-2 at Alavés to reach the semis. But it was their biggest rivals of all, and perennial Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club, who stood in the way in the last four.
La Real took the win 2-0 on aggregate over their Basque neighbours, sending them through to their first cup final since they won it in the pandemic-disrupted 2019-20 season.
It has very much been the season of Icelandic striker Orri Óskarsson, who despite only scoring once in the competition so far, has had his name turned into the chant of the season by the Real Sociedad fans. To the tune of Bad Bunny’s “CAFé CON RON”, they sing: “Por la mañana café, por la tarde ron. Llévame a Sevilla, Orri Óskarsson”.
Let’s hope his impact in the cup has been limited to songs in the stands and nothing more on Saturday night.
Team news
We’ve become accustomed to seeing Juan Musso in the Atleti goal in all competitions now, not just in the Copa del Rey, so his presence on Saturday will be received with one of calm by all. Oh, just how much he deserves this.
The back four will largely be conditioned by the midfield, as Marcos Llorente could start at right-back if Simeone opts for Johnny Cardoso in the middle of the park. Personally, I see Nahuel Molina keeping his place in defence, with the warrior Matteo Ruggeri on the other side.
At center-back, Dávid Hancko was seen training alone on the Cartuja pitch on Friday, but his return to the starting lineup looks in doubt with injury still plaguing him. Marc Pubill and Robin Le Normand look to be the pairing to keep out Mikel Oyarzabal and co.
It will be Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman on the wings with Koke joining Llorente in the middle of the park, and the front two will be…well, you know who.
Julián Alvarez is no stranger to trophies, and has a huge chance to win his first with Atleti, partnering Antoine Griezmann up top.
Vamos Atleti que queremos La Copa!
