Real Madrid's Wild Ride to the Copa del Rey Final
Okay, so you wouldn't believe the Copa del Rey semi-final between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. It was absolute chaos – a rollercoaster of emotions, goals, and enough drama to last a lifetime. Real Madrid emerged victorious, but honestly, who saw *that* coming?
A Goal-Fest for the Ages
Real Sociedad, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, came out firing. Ander Barrenetxea scored early, and for a moment, I thought, "Whoa, this could get interesting." Then Endrick, that young Brazilian whiz kid, popped up with a gorgeous chip to level things. It was back and forth – a David Alaba own goal and a deflected Mikel Oyarzabal strike put La Real firmly in the driver's seat. It kinda felt like watching a slow-motion trainwreck; you knew it was going to be a bumpy ride, but you couldn't look away.
But Real Madrid? They’re Real Madrid. Goals from Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouameni brought them right back into it. And then, in stoppage time? Oyarzabal slammed home another equalizer to send the game into extra time. I nearly jumped out of my skin!
Extra Time Drama and a Little Controversy
Extra time arrived and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Then, in the 115th minute, Antonio Rudiger rose high to head home the winner from a corner. He’s a real hero for them. He even praised the quality of the corner kick, highlighting how it was a total team effort, which is always nice to see.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. There was a bit of controversy around Oyarzabal's frustration – he thought Kylian Mbappé (who wasn’t even on the pitch!) was offside in the buildup to Tchouameni's goal. And Carlo Ancelotti felt a foul on Vinicius Junior should have resulted in a red card. You know how sometimes things just spiral? That's what this felt like at times.
What's Next for Los Blancos?
Despite the wild swings in momentum, Ancelotti seemed pretty pleased with the team's resilience. He's got to be proud of his squad. Real Madrid now waits to see who their opponent will be in the final – either Barcelona or Atlético Madrid. It’s going to be a nail-biter no matter who they face, but their fight against Real Sociedad showcased their determination to secure another trophy. The Copa del Rey final on April 26th at La Cartuja stadium is going to be epic. I, for one, can't wait.
