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The road to the second final (III): Real Betis

The road to the second final (III): Real Betis

It took a 94th-minute equaliser and penalty shootout for the Lions to seal their place in the semi-finals

The last one-legged tie for the Lions before moving on to the semi-finals. After overcoming Ibiza and Alcoyano, Athletic took on a first division side for the first time in their 2020-21 Copa run. To book a place in the semi-finals, the Lions had to beat a strong Real Betis side on their home turf, the Benito Villamarín.

The fixture was hard-fought with neither side having many clear-cut chances. Five minutes before full-time, Juanmi put Betis ahead. Athletic, however, refused to die, and kept looking for the goal. They got their reward just before the referee blew his whistle. With the last action of the game, Iñigo Martínez sent in a cross which Raúl García nodded home.

The clash went to penalties, where Unai Simón proved unbeatable between the sticks for Athletic. He saved twice, from Sergio Canales and Juanmi, while Yuri Berchiche dispatched the decisive penalty and booked Athletic’s place in the Copa del Rey 2020-21 semi-finals.