Athletic beat Mallorca on penalties to win Copa del Rey and end 40-year drought

Athletic Club beat Real Mallorca on penalties to win the Copa del Rey for the first time in 40 years, dramatically ending their trophy drought.

Bilbao scored all four of their penalties, with Alex Berenguer burying the decisive spot kick, while their shot-stopper Julen Agirrezabala saved one and saw another blazed over.

It capped a comeback win necessitated because Mallorca took an early lead against the run of play when Athletic failed to clear a corner, allowing three shots on goal, the third of which – from Dani Rodriguez – nestled in the top corner.

Nico Williams was Athletic’s lone bright spot in the first half, scoring a disallowed goal and also hitting the side netting, so it was no surprise he created the equaliser less than five minutes into the second period. Oihan Sancet applied the finish.

Mallorca’s resolute defending kept Athletic from scoring again and dragged the game first to extra time and then penalties, but their resistance was ultimately in vain.

This was Athletic’s seventh major final this century and sixth Copa del Rey final. They had lost each of the previous six.

This one was supposed to be different. For the first time they were favourites, and against a side 10 places and 25 points below them in the table, surely their quality would show through? Not for the first half, when instead the pressure looked to be showing and with the onus on them to dictate the game, most Athletic players were below their best.

It would have been easy for Athletic to freeze at that point but they did not. They came out firing in the second half, quickly equalising, and their dominance was clear for the rest of the game even if they could not produce a winning goal to show for it. Then when it came to penalties, the ultimate test of mental strength and technique under pressure, they succeeded. After 40 years without a major trophy, they are Copa del Rey winners.

He was the only Athletic player close to their best in the first half, carried that form into the second when he created the equaliser and remained a threat throughout the 120 minutes. Mallorca could not handle him and had fine margins gone the other way on a few occasions, he would have been involved in more than one goal.

Athletic Club: Agirrezabala 7, De Marcos 6, Vivian 7, Paredes 6, Berchiche 6, Prados 4, Galarreta 6, I. Williams 5, Sancet 6, N. Williams 8, Guruzeta 4. Subs: Vesga 6, Goemz 5, Muniain 5, Garcia 5, Berenguer 6, Lekue 5.

Real Mallorca: Greif 7, Gonzalez 5, Valjent 6, Raillo 7, Copete 6, Lato 6, Darder 5, Costa 7, Rodriguez 6, Muriqi 7, Larin 4. Subs: Sanchez 5, Morlanes 5, Radonjic 5, Maffeo 5, Nastasic 6, Van der Hayden 5.

GOAL! ATHLETIC CLUB 0-1 MALLORCA (RODRIGUEZ) 21′ – Athletic can’t clear a corner and are made to pay. The first shot is blocked, the second parried by Agirrezabala, but Raillo then unselfishly tees up Rodriguez and he curls into the top corner with devastating precision.

DISALLOWED GOAL 39′ – Nico Williams plays a lovely one-two with Guruzeta and slots the return pass beyond the goalkeeper – but he is offside.

SAVE! 46′ – A Mallorca chance almost straight from kick-off as Larin outmuscles Vivian and takes a one-on-one on first time, but Agirrezabala saves.

GOAL! ATHLETIC CLUB 1-1 REAL MALLORCA (SANCET) 50′ – Nico Williams comes deep and inside. In the space he vacated, Sancet goes, Williams picks him out and Sancet has time to control then calmly finish.

FANTASTIC BLOCK! 112′ – De Marcos finds his way to the byline on the right and cuts the ball back to Nico Williams, in front of goal, where Maffeo slides in to block and prevent a certain goal.

ATHLETIC WIN ON PENALTIES! Athletic score all four of their spot kicks and win the shootout 4-2! Morlanes’ effort is saved by Agirrezabala and Radonjic shoots over, allowing Berenguer to win the cup by sinking Athletic’s fourth penalty.