In the first match of another semifinal pair, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid played to a 4-4 draw. Both return matches will take place in April. Coach Carlo Ancelotti dropped key goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Federico Valverde. Kylian Mbappé was replaced; Endrick scored a goal in the first half, and Real Madrid secured a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the first match of the semifinal of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday. Mbappé missed the match due to a dental extraction and the missed training session on Tuesday. Courtois was substituted in the goal; Andrey Lunin played a key role in that Madrid had the advantage after the first half.
"Endrick helped us a lot," said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. "The goal was fantastic." The final of the Copa del Rey will be held in Seville on April 26. "The team is playing well." The French star scored six goals in the last five matches. Endrick, an 18-year-old forward from Brazil, scored after a long pass from Jude Bellingham. He worked well both in attack and in defense.
Real Madrid won its last Cup in 2023, while Sociedad did not make it to the semifinals since they won their third title in 2020, beating Madrid in the quarterfinals 4-3 in Santiago Bernabéu. The club from the Basque country lost its last three matches against Madrid in the Spanish league. Prior to this, the rounds of the Cup were held in single matches. Sociedad's last season ended in the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Atletico.
