FOOTBALL – Another exciting Copa del Rey semi-final match last night saw Levante and Athletic Club compete for a place in the final next month against FC Barcelona.
Both teams went into the game 1-1 with Levante having the advantage of the away goal. The match began intense and continued throughout the game.
First Half
Within the first 20 minutes, Levante scored with a cross from Rochina which was met by Roger Martí.
Despite this, the Bilbao Club continued to mount pressure until Levante´s Duarte grabbed at Garcia in the box. There was some confusion and delay from the referee as Garcia continued and scored just as the ref blew the whistle. However, this resulted in a penalty for Raúl García. Garcia equalised! Before the end of the first half, Levante came close to scoring once again. However, the 45 minutes ended and both teams were still 1-1 (2-2 on aggregate).
Second Half
In the second half both teams seemed once more to be equally matched with many attempts on goal. But also some fantastic saves. However, it seemed only a matter of time before Athletic would score, but they just never found the mark. There were narrow misses from Williams and Berenguer.
Extra Time
For the second night, the Copa del Rey semi-final match went to extra time. The first half of extra time was uneventful, but with only 8 minutes remaining before the prospect of penalties, Berenguer hit a long ball to score a magnificent, deflected goal for the Basque team.
Two Copa del Rey Finals for Athletic Club
In an official article by the club, Athletic state they “have reached two consecutive Copa del Rey finals for the first time since the 80s. The Lions beat Levante UD 1-2 thanks to an extra-time goal by winger Alex Berenguer.”
The first final takes place on April 3 against Real Sociedad. This was originally scheduled for April 18 2020, but was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The second, only two weeks later against FC Barcelona. Athletic Club have the potential to win two consecutive Copa del Rey Finals within the same month!
