Williams Brothers Stun Valencia with Last-Minute Copa del Rey Winner

Inaki Williams came off the bench to volley home a dramatic 96th-minute winner, sending Athletic Bilbao past Valencia and into the Copa del Rey semifinals. The match saw an own goal and a goalkeeping error before the Williams brothers' late heroics. In the other quarterfinal, Real Sociedad staged a comeback to defeat Alaves 3-2 with a late winner from Orri Oskarsson. The semifinal draw will be held on Friday following the remaining quarterfinal between Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.

Key Points: Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad Reach Copa del Rey Semifinals

  • Inaki Williams scores 96th-minute winner
  • Valencia loses at home in quarterfinal
  • Real Sociedad comes from behind to beat Alaves
  • Semifinal draw set for Friday
2 min read

Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad into Copa semis after away wins

Inaki Williams scores 96th-minute winner as Athletic Bilbao beats Valencia. Real Sociedad also advances to Copa del Rey semifinals after comeback win.

"This team always has spirit, and that is something we must never lose. - Ernesto Valverde"

Valencia, Feb 5

Inaki Williams scored a 96th-minute winner to see Athletic Bilbao beat Valencia 2-1 to reach the semifinal of the Copa del Rey.

The forward came on as a substitute to volley home a cross from his brother Nico when it looked as if the game was heading for extra time, Xinhua reports.

Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde made 10 changes to the side that drew 1-1 at home to Real Sociedad on Sunday, but his side took the lead in the 27th minute when Umar Sadiq flicked Robert Navarro's free kick into his own net.

The Valencia fans were starting to lose patience when a terrible mistake from Athletic goalkeeper Alex Padilla gifted an equaliser.

Padilla dropped a simple ball at the feet of Sadiq, who bundled it into the net before apologising for his error at the other end.

Athletic controlled the game in the second half, but after Mikel Jaureguizar saw a penalty well saved by Stole Dimitrievski, the match looked set for extra time until the Williams brothers combined.

"This team always has spirit, and that is something we must never lose. Reaching the semi-finals, something Athletic have done a lot lately, is a success for us and we hope it will also be a cause for celebration for our fans," gaffer Ernesto Valverde.

In the day's other quarterfinal, Abde Rebbach put Alaves ahead in the eighth minute at home to Real Sociedad, who quickly drew level thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal.

Toni Martinez restored Alaves' lead from the penalty spot after a bad foul from Benat Turrientes after 29 minutes.

Turrientes made amends when he set up Goncalo Guedes to level in the 76th minute and substitute Orri Oskarsson hit the winner with seven minutes to play.

On Tuesday night, FC Barcelona won 2-1 away to second-tier Albacete, while Real Betis hosts Atletico Madrid on Thursday ahead of Friday's semifinal draw.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
As a football fan in India, I love following the Copa del Rey. The drama is always top-notch. Feel bad for Valencia though, losing like that at home in added time must be heartbreaking. The own goal and the goalkeeper error... tough day for them.
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Vikram M
Valverde making 10 changes and still winning shows the squad depth. That's how you compete on multiple fronts. Real Sociedad also showing character to come from behind twice. The semifinal draw will be very interesting now with Barca also through.
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Priya S
While the match was exciting, the article could have provided a bit more context for casual fans. For someone in India who mainly follows the Premier League, names like Turrientes or Oskarsson aren't very familiar. A little background helps!
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Rohit P
Umar Sadiq had a real rollercoaster! Scores an own goal, gets gifted an equalizer, and then apologizes. Football, eh? 😅 The emotions in this game are what make it beautiful. Hoping for an Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona semifinal for some real fireworks.
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Michael C
Great to see Indian news portals covering Spanish football in detail. The domestic cup competitions in Europe often get overlooked here for the Champions League. This kind of coverage is excellent for growing the fanbase for different leagues in India.

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