Athletic Bilbao ended a 40-year silver medal drought and ended a six-game losing streak in Copa del Rey finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Mallorca.
Athletic won their 24th Copa del Rey and their first since 1984, with Alex Berenguer stepping up and winning 4-2 in the penalty shootout in Sevilla.
The match caused jubilant scenes at the packed La Cartuja Stadium and ended Athletic's recent run of struggles, which saw them lose two finals in the first few weeks of 2021.
Dani Rodriguez put Mallorca (15th in La Liga) ahead in the 21st minute after Athletic failed to clear from a corner kick.
Athletic, who were aiming for a top-four spot in La Liga under former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde, were unable to equalize before half-time after Nico Williams' finish was ruled out for offside.
But Oyhan Sunset equalized just after the interval, and the influential Williams won the ball back and played to the end, curling up to score.
Williams couldn't find the target in the second period of extra time, while Mallorca's Vedat Muriqui's header was deflected away by Athletic goalkeeper Julen Aguirrezabala, with neither team able to find a chance.
Mallorca, who played in Spain's third division until 2018, was aiming to win the Copa del Rey for the second time after winning in 2003.
However, in the 40th Spanish Cup final (the last two matches were both lost in April 2021, as the 2020 final was postponed due to the pandemic), it was Athletic who were able to celebrate their long-awaited success. .
In the penalty shootout, 23-year-old Aguirre Zabala saved Manu Morlanes' spot-kick, Nemanja Radonic went wide and Athletic's first four penalty takers all scored.
Only Barcelona, with 31, have won more trophies than Athletic, Spain's fourth-oldest club, and maintain their unique philosophy of only using players from the Basque Country.
lineup
Asbilbao
formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Aguirrezabara
- 18de marcos
- 3vivian
- FourParedesI made a reservation for 27 minutes.
- 17BershcheReplacementLuquein 105+1'minutes
- 16Luis de GalarretaReplacementgomezin 80 minutesminutes
- twenty fourpradosReplacementBesugain 45 minutesminutes
- 9williamsReplacementBerengarin 90 minutesminutes
- 8SunsetReplacementMuniainin 90 minutesminutes
- 11Nico Williams
- 12GrzetaReplacementgarciain 90 minutesminutes
substitute
- 1simon
- 6Besuga
- 7Berengar
- TenMuniain
- 14Garcia Carrillo
- 15Luque
- 19garcia de albeniz
- 20Vilibre
- twenty oneHerrera
- twenty twogarcia
- 30gomez
Mallorca
formation 5-3-2
- 13grief
- 20gonzalez
- twenty fourvalgentoReplacementMaffeoin 90 minutesminutes
- twenty oneRaiyo
- 6Arias CopeteReplacementnasta chicin 105+3'minutes
- 3Latorre GrusoReplacementVan der Heydenin 110'minutes
- TenDadarReplacementmorlanesin 62 minutesminutes
- 12De Almeida Costa
- 14RodriguezReplacementRadonjićin 74 minutesminutesBooked in 119 minutes
- 17LarinReplacementSanchezin 62 minutesminutes
- 7MurikiI made a reservation in 90 minutes.
substitute
- 1Rajkovic
- 2nasta chic
- FourVan der Heyden
- Fivemascarell
- 8morlanes
- 9platz
- 11costa
- 15Maffeo
- 18Sanchez
- twenty threeRadonjić
- twenty fivequellal
- Referee:
- Jose Luis Munuela Montero