Real Sociedad secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Reale Arena in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening. The result means the San Sebastian side will progress to the last eight of the competition while Atletico are out.
La Real took the lead in the 33rd minute through Adnan Januzaj, who had been assisted by Joseba Zaldua. Alexander Soerloth then doubled their advantage just two minutes into the second half.
The result is a blow for Atletico, who were dumped out of the Supercopa de Espana by La Real’s Basque rivals Athletic Club last weekend. They’re enduring a poor season indeed despite being the reigning champions of La Liga – they’re currently fourth in the league table, 16 points behind pace-setters Real Madrid.
La Real started the season on fire but their form has dropped off in recent times. They’re currently fifth in La Liga, level on points with Atletico, and will be looking to go deep in the Copa del Rey.
“The only way to improve is to help our footballers, give them confidence and peace of mind at this time when the situation is creating complications,” Diego Simeone said post-match as carried by Diario AS.
“It was a tough game. Real started off well, then we had [Yannick] Carrasco’s chance only for them to go 2-0 up and kill any kind of positive momentum. We had a one-on-one with [Matheus] Cunha, but we’re at a stage were, as many say, the dynamics aren’t good.
“But let’s think positive. I’m optimistic and I believe in my players. It’s a problem of football, of life. Every day isn’t the same. Last season was magnificent and this season is proving to be very difficult. But the opportunities are there. We have La Liga and the Champions League.”