In the first leg of the King's Cup semi-final, Real Sociedad struck first and defeated Athletic Club Bilbao 1-0 at San Mamés. A goal from Beñat Turrientes in the 17th minute of the second half gave the 'txuri-urdin' a minimal advantage for the return leg, which will be held next week at the Reale Arena. On the rebound, Turrientes was there to poke the ball into the net and break the deadlock in Bilbao. Athletic responded with pressure but lacked precision. Nico Williams had two chances, a header and a shot that failed to find the target. The tie, however, remains completely open. The first half was intense and fractious, though with few clear-cut chances. Real showed greater clarity in creating danger and had the most notable opportunities: a one-on-one for Pablo Marí and a header from Joan Martín, both saved by Álex Padilla. Towards the end of the initial period, the visiting team appealed for a handball by Aymeric Laporte inside the area, which the VAR did not review. The play began with a through pass from Carlos Soler to Gonçalo Guedes, who, after assisting towards the middle, was brought down by Padilla.
