Real Madrid made it to the Copa del Rey final after a thrilling 4-4 draw against Real Sociedad, winning 5-4 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
Antonio Rudiger scored the winning goal with a header in the 115th minute of the exciting match, and now Madrid will play against either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the final.
Real Sociedad, who were down 1-0 from the first leg, took the lead with a goal from Ander Barrenetxea, but Endrick quickly equalized with a great chip shot.
A goal by David Alaba and a deflected shot from Mikel Oyarzabal gave La Real a lead against the Spanish champions.
However, Madrid fought back with goals from Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Oyarzabal scored again during stoppage time, which pushed the game into extra time, but his team couldn’t hold off Madrid until the penalty shoot-out, with Rudiger scoring the final goal.
Ancelotti included Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes in his starting lineup, while Kylian Mbappe rested on the bench, allowing Endrick to join the all-Brazilian attack.
The 18-year-old star striker, who scored the only goal in the first leg, was involved early in the match, almost scoring with an overhead kick that just missed Alex Remiro’s far post.
Bellingham also posed a threat for the home team, but it was Real Sociedad that took the first lead.
Barrenetxea slipped past Lucas Vazquez to reach Pablo Marin’s flick and fired a low shot into the net, leveling the score in the tie.
Real Madrid quickly responded and found their equalizer.
Vinicius made an amazing pass with the outside of his foot down the left side, setting up Endrick for a clear shot at goal.
The young player, who is the leading scorer in the Copa del Rey, made a beautiful lobbed shot over Romero for his fifth goal in the tournament.
Before halftime, Real Sociedad asked for a penalty when Takefusa Kubo fell in the box after being grabbed by Vinicius, but the referee disagreed.
Ancelotti substituted Mbappe for Endrick, hoping to score a goal to seal the match. However, it was the visiting team that had the better scoring opportunities.
Madrid’s goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin, made an incredible save to stop Martin Zubimendi’s shot, and Oyarzabal missed the chance by shooting the rebound wide.
Real Sociedad took the lead in the match when Alaba accidentally redirected Marin’s cross through Lunin’s legs and into his own goal after 72 minutes.
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The Austrian defender, who came back from a long injury in January, played a part in Real Sociedad’s third goal by deflecting Oyarzabal’s shot past Lunin.
This got Madrid moving, as Vinicius skillfully outmaneuvered his defender, drove forward, and crossed the ball to Bellingham, who scored in the 82nd minute.
Just four minutes later, Los Blancos tied the game when Tchouameni’s header was mishandled by Remiro and ended up in his net.
Just when it looked like Real Sociedad was done, they forced extra time by having Oyarzabal head in a free kick from Sergio Gomez in the 93rd minute.
Remiro made a solid save against Bellingham before the regular 90 minutes ended, and the pace slowed down when the game started again.
Real Sociedad’s Jon Olagasti received a yellow card for taking down Vinicius as he tried to break free on the left side.
The visitors put in a lot of effort to keep the European champions at bay.
With just five minutes left, Rudiger helped Madrid reach the final by scoring a great header from Arda Guler’s corner, leaving Remiro with no chance to save it.
Atletico Madrid will today face Barcelona in the second leg of the other semifinal, with both teams tied at 4-4 in total goals.
