{"id":57768,"date":"2024-02-08T15:05:07","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T15:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/bilbao-win-at-atletico-in-copa-del-rey-semi-first-leg-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2024-02-08T15:05:07","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T15:05:07","slug":"bilbao-win-at-atletico-in-copa-del-rey-semi-first-leg-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/bilbao-win-at-atletico-in-copa-del-rey-semi-first-leg-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Bilbao win at Atletico in Copa del Rey semi first leg | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\nMADRID:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alex Berenguer earned Athletic Bilbao an impressive 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid in a tense Copa del Rey semi-final first leg clash on Wednesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The winger rolled home a 25th minute penalty to secure the victory but Atletico were frustrated after a late spot kick in their favour was annulled.<\/p>\n

Yeray Alvarez felled Alvaro Morata in the area in stoppage time but a VAR review showed the forward was offside in the build up.<\/p>\n

Athletic inflicted Atletico’s first home defeat of the season across all competitions.<\/p>\n

“They pressed us well in the second half especially, but in the end we got a very good result,” Berenguer told Movistar.<\/p>\n

“We did what we’ve been doing all the year, the team sacrificed a lot and this is the way we have to continue.”<\/p>\n

Sitting fourth in La Liga<\/a> and 10 points adrift of leaders Real Madrid, cup success remains Atletico’s best avenue to silverware this season.<\/p>\n

Diego Simeone’s side defeated current holders Real Madrid<\/a> in the last 16 and scraped past Sevilla to reach the semis, but will need to mount a comeback in the Basque Country.<\/p>\n

Athletic, meanwhile, ousted record 31-time winners Barcelona in the quarter-finals and played with grit and determination at the Metropolitano stadium.<\/p>\n

The Basque side have lost the last six Copa finals they have played in, although with 23 triumphs have won more than any side except Barcelona.<\/p>\n

The visitors took the lead in the capital when Reinildo Mandava clumsily ploughed into Benat Prados to concede a penalty and Berenguer sent Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak the wrong way from the spot.<\/p>\n

Memphis Depay might have levelled but Aitor Paredes was alert to block his shot after a Julen Agirrezabala error, while Antoine Griezmann fired narrowly wide.<\/p>\n

Samuel Lino whisked a low effort past the post early in the second half as Atletico sought a leveller.<\/p>\n

Asier Villalibre should have doubled Athletic’s lead but lashed into the side netting after Oblak parried a shot invitingly into his path.<\/p>\n

Regardless, Ernesto Valverde’s side take an impressive result back to their San Mames fortress for the second leg on February 29.<\/p>\n

Atletico almost snatched an equaliser but Inigo Lekue hacked an Angel Correa effort off the line in the final stages.<\/p>\n

In stoppage time Atletico thought they had a penalty of their own but Morata’s offside saw it cancelled and the striker headed inches wide with the last touch of the game.<\/p>\n

“We had two or three big chances to equalise and that’s the path we must follow,” Simeone told reporters.<\/p>\n

Atletico midfielder Koke also chose to stay positive.<\/p>\n

“Just as they won here, we can win in San Mames,” he added.<\/p>\n

“We have to keep working and turn things around in the second leg.”<\/p>\n

Real Sociedad drew 0-0 at Real Mallorca in the first leg of the other semi-final on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MADRID: Alex Berenguer earned Athletic Bilbao an impressive 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid in a tense Copa del Rey semi-final first leg clash on Wednesday. The winger rolled home a 25th minute penalty to secure the victory but Atletico were frustrated after a late spot kick in their favour was annulled. Yeray Alvarez felled Alvaro […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.tribune.com.pk\/media\/images\/Atletic-Bilbao-v-Atletico-Reuters1707396932-0\/Atletic-Bilbao-v-Atletico-Reuters1707396932-0.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t