Mallorca Beats Real Sociedad on Penalties to Return to Copa Del Rey Final Two Decades Later 

RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)
RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)
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Mallorca Beats Real Sociedad on Penalties to Return to Copa Del Rey Final Two Decades Later 

RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)
RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)

More than two decades later, Mallorca is back in the Copa del Rey final.

The Spanish club partly owned by Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and former NBA great Steve Nash defeated Real Sociedad 5-4 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to make it to the final 21 years after it won the competition for the only time.

Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif saved the opening penalty by Mikel Oyarzabal, then Sergi Darder converted the decisive kick to put Mallorca in the final. The teams drew 1-1 in regulation and were scoreless in extra time at Sociedad's Reale Arena.

The teams had drawn 0-0 in the first leg in Mallorca on Feb. 6.

Mallorca will play the April 6 final in Seville against either Atletico Madrid or Athletic Bilbao, which will play the second leg of the other semifinal on Thursday in Bilbao. Athletic won the first leg 1-0 in Madrid.

It will be the fourth Copa final for Mallorca, which hadn't made it the title game since it won the tournament in 2003 against Recreativo Huelva. Its other final appearances were in 1991 and 1998. It hadn't made it to the semifinals since 2009.

Mallorca's Mexican coach Javier Aguirre had taken Osasuna to the 2005 final, when it lost to Real Betis.

Sociedad was trying to return to the Copa final for the first time since it beat rival Athletic to lift the trophy in the 2019-20 season.

Vedat Muriqi, Manu Morlanes, Omar Mascarell and Nemanja Radonjic also scored for Mallorca in the penalty shootout. Beñat Turrientes, Jon Ander Olasagasti, Martín Zubimendi and Sheraldo Becker scored for Sociedad.

Mallorca took the lead in the 50th with a header by Gio González into the far corner in what was the visitors' only attempt on target during regulation. There was a long delay before the goal was confirmed as video review looked for a possible offside in the buildup.

The hosts, which had nearly 30 attempts throughout the match, equalized in a breakaway in the 71st with Oyarzabal finding the net with a low shot after a nice through ball by Brais Méndez.

Mallorca, which sits just outside the relegation zone in the Spanish league, had won only one of its last six games.

Sociedad, seventh after 26 league rounds, had one win in its last seven matches across all competitions. The Basque Country club is in the round of 16 of the Champions League, having lost the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in France.



Julián Álvarez Picking up the Scoring Pace with Atletico Madrid

Atletico's Julián Álvarez of Atletico celebrates scoring during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Sparta Prague and Atletico Madrid in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Michaela Rihova/CTK via AP)
Atletico's Julián Álvarez of Atletico celebrates scoring during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Sparta Prague and Atletico Madrid in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Michaela Rihova/CTK via AP)
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Julián Álvarez Picking up the Scoring Pace with Atletico Madrid

Atletico's Julián Álvarez of Atletico celebrates scoring during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Sparta Prague and Atletico Madrid in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Michaela Rihova/CTK via AP)
Atletico's Julián Álvarez of Atletico celebrates scoring during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Sparta Prague and Atletico Madrid in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Michaela Rihova/CTK via AP)

When the referee whistled for the free kick just outside the area, Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez quickly picked up the ball and moved in position to take the shot.

“When I saw the free kick, I told Rodri (Rodrigo De Paul) that I felt confident with the shot,” Álvarez said. “And it was a great goal.”

Álvarez, Atletico's main signing in the offseason, has not been lacking confidence lately. The Argentina forward curled in the free kick shot in the 15th minute for the first of his two goals in the team’s 6-0 rout of Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday — the team’s biggest ever away win in European competitions.

“We'll keep rotating who takes the free kicks,” said Álvarez, who also found the net in the 59th.

It was Álvarez’s seventh goal in the last 10 matches, and third in his last three games across all competitions. The 24-year-old had a slow start to his first season with Atletico, scoring twice in 10 matches.

“It was a matter of time before we started connecting well with each other,” said Álvarez, who joined Atletico after two seasons at Manchester City. “We have to stay on this path to keep improving.”

Ángel Correa also scored two goals for Atletico, with Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann adding one each.

“We know that in this format of the competition we need to keep adding the three points and scoring goals,” Álvarez said. “It's important to get the points and the goals.”

Atletico was sitting in 13th place in the 36-team league standings.