Atletico Madrid were made to rue several missed chances as they lost out to Athletic Club at the Civitas Metropolitano in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final clash – the Basque side picking up a priceless 1-0 victory.
The decisive moment of the match came in the 25th minute, as Reinildo Mandava conceded a penalty for the hosts. Alex Berenguer, who returned to the Athletic side after missing the last three minutes with a hamstring injury, stepped up to score the opening goal, sparking delight for Los Leones.
⚽️ ¡¡GOOOOOOL DE BERENGUER!!
Se adelantan los 'leones' con un tanto desde los once metros.
🆚 @Atleti | 0-1 | @AthleticClub | 25'
ℹ️ Minuto a minuto: https://t.co/Z3tSxWIqxj#LaCopaMola🏆 | #CopaDelRey pic.twitter.com/wcXikqcLTP
— RFEF (@rfef) February 7, 2024
It remained 1-0 until half time, and after the interval, Atleti really stepped it up. They had several big chances, with the likes of Samuel Lino, Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata all going very close to equalising. However, Julen Agirrezabala in the Athletic goal could not be beaten, as he and his defence stood strong. The hosts were even awarded a penalty late on, but it was overturned as Morata was offside in the build-up.
The result leaves Athletic Club in an excellent position to reach the Copa del Rey final, while Atletico Madrid have lost their first home match since January 2023. The return leg takes place at San Mames on the 29th of February.
