Real Madrid advanced to its second Copa del Rey final in three seasons on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, after needing extra time to defeat Real Sociedad. Antonio Rüdiger scored the decisive goal in extra time at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, securing a 5-4 aggregate victory for the Spanish powerhouse.
Madrid had won the first leg 1-0 in February, but Sociedad took the second leg 4-3 after Mikel Oyarzabal scored in stoppage time in regulation, when both teams scored twice after the 80th minute. Madrid will play the April 26 final in Seville against either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid, which play their second leg on Wednesday at Atletico's Metropolitano stadium. The teams drew 4-4 in Barcelona in the first match.
Madrid beat Osasuna to win its 20th Copa title in 2023. Sociedad won its third in 2020 when it beat Basque Country rival Athletic Bilbao. Sociedad eliminated Madrid in the quarterfinals that season with a 4-3 win at the Bernabeu.
Rüdiger's extra-time goal on Tuesday came with a header off a corner kick taken by Arda Güler in the 115th minute. The visitors had opened the scoring with Ander Barrenetxea in the 16th minute before Endrick equalized with a nice flick over Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro in the 30th minute.
Sociedad moved ahead with an own-goal by David Alaba in the 72nd minute and Oyarzabal added to the lead in the 80th. Madrid rallied with Jude Bellingham in the 82nd minute and Aurélien Tchouaméni in the 86th minute. Madrid was minutes away from advancing when Oyarzabal scored with a header three minutes into stoppage time to extend the match.
It was a thrilling contest that showcased the resilience of both teams. Madrid started slowly, paying the price when Barrenetxea leveled the tie on aggregate after 16 minutes, threading his shot through the legs of reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.
However, the home side's equalizer was wonderfully crafted, as Vinicius Jr. fed Endrick, who lifted the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper. Sociedad had a chance to level things up again when Martin Zubimendi directed a volley on target, but Lunin redeemed his earlier woes with a full-stretch save. Mikel Oyarzabal skied the ensuing rebound.
They were gifted the goal to level the tie soon after, when David Alaba inadvertently glanced Pablo Marin's cross into his own net. Alaba had the misfortune of being involved in the next one, too, as he deflected Oyarzabal's shot into the bottom corner.
From there, Madrid woke up. Jude Bellingham made it 3-3 on aggregate with an audacious side-footed volley after a fine piece of set up play from Vinicius before Aurélien Tchouaméni seemed certain to have scored the winner as he guided a header past a sprawling Alex Remiro with four minutes left on the clock.
But La Real offered another twist, as Oyarzabal found the net with a close-range header in injury time, forcing the match into extra time. Just when it looked like penalties were looming, substitute Rüdiger stepped up to the plate. He rose high to head Güler's corner into the bottom-left corner for the equalizer, sending them through on aggregate.
This match was not just a test of skill, but a showcase of determination and heart. The excitement of the match was palpable, with both teams throwing everything into the contest. The statistics reflect the intensity, with a total of 37 shots overall—26 for Madrid and 11 for La Real.
Endrick, who netted the first-half equalizer, has scored five goals in five games in the Copa del Rey 2024-25, becoming the first Madrid player to score five goals in the same edition of the tournament since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2012-13. La Real have now scored four or more goals against Madrid in a match at the Santiago Bernabeu on three occasions across all competitions in the 21st century, with only Barcelona managing to do so more often.
As the dust settles on this remarkable game, Madrid looks ahead to the final, hoping to secure another Copa del Rey title. They will face a formidable opponent, whether it be Barcelona or Atletico Madrid, in what promises to be a thrilling match in Seville.
