The road to the second final (II): CD Alcoyano

The draw for the Round of 16 saw Athletic paired with CD Alcoyano, another Segunda División B side. Once again the Lions were forced to fight back after going behind against a lower-league opponent.

The Alicante-based side came into the match full of confidence after having knocked out Real Madrid in the previous round. They were not to be taken lightly. In the first minute, Ángel López gave Athletic a taste of what was to come when he struck the woodwork. Not long later, Mikel Vesga had the Rojiblancos’ first chance with a half-volley from the edge of the area. Alcoyano took the lead in the 39th minute, Pablo Carbonell hitting the back of the net from a free-kick.

The situation was almost identical to that of the match against UD Ibiza. Marcelino used the same course of action – Iker Muniain and Raúl García were brought off the bench. Athletic grew into the game and had clear chances to score, finally equalising on the hour mark when Asier Villalibre smashed in a header from Iñigo Lekue’s cross. Striker Iñaki Williams secured the win in the 78th minute, heading home from a Muniain free-kick delivery. In a similar vein to the match against Ibiza, Athletic came through a complicated fixture and moved on to the next round.