In the 15th second, when many spectators had not yet settled down, Ander Barrenetxea headed the ball into Juan Musso's net after Goncalo Guedes' early cross, helping Real Sociedad open the score. The quick goal was like a "cold shower" on Atletico Madrid's ambitions, forcing them to immediately push up their formation to attack.
Continuous pressure was quickly concretized in the 19th minute. Antoine Griezmann made a favorable assist for Ademola Lookman to finish dangerously into the far corner, bringing the match back to balance. The following minutes were a tug-of-war with tit-for-tat exchanges from both sides.
A turning point appeared at the end of the first half when goalkeeper Musso fouled Guedes in the penalty area. From the 11m spot, captain Mikel Oyarzabal made no mistake, putting the Basque team ahead 2-1.
The second half witnessed the resilience of Real Sociedad when they actively retreated deep to defend. However, the class of Atletico's stars spoke up at the right time. In the 83rd minute, receiving a pass from Thiago Almada, Julian Alvarez launched a beautiful long-range shot, equalizing 2-2 in the explosion of the stands.
The two teams entered extra time with reduced fitness but still played with determination. Atletico created more chances, but Alvarez's shot found the crossbar. In the opposite direction, Musso had some excellent saves to atone for his mistakes.
In the penalty shootout, Real Sociedad's bravery was shown. While Alexander Sorloth and Alvarez on Atletico's side were unsuccessful, Sociedad players appeared colder. Pablo Marin took the decisive shot, sealing the victory and bringing home the Copa del Rey championship.
