A semi-final apiece as Real Sociedad and Athletic meet again | OneFootball

San Mamés will on Wednesday open the third Copa del Rey semi-final between Real Sociedad and Athletic. Each club has won one previous meeting, and for the first time the return leg will be played in Gipuzkoa.

Diario Vasco notes that formats have shifted since 1923, when qualification required winning the Gipuzkoa championship, later featuring Alavés, Riojan and Aragonese teams, while Bizkaia’s route was lighter. That season the eight regional champions advanced to the final rounds.

The first leg in Atocha on 22 April drew a cold full house and produced a cautious contest in which Real keeper Agustín Eizaguirre stood out. A week later more than 20,000 packed San Mamés as Athletic won, Germán Echevarría scoring on 18 minutes and Carmelo Goikoetxea on 44, then beat Europa 1-0 in the final, Travieso scoring.

Sixty-four years on, Real prevailed. Toshack’s team had eliminated Basconia, Montijo and Villarreal in single ties, then Eibar and Mallorca B. The first leg in Atocha finished 0-0, Real hampered by injuries and the two-substitute limit, effectively ending with nine as Athletic played within themselves and Toshack expressed satisfaction given the circumstances.

A week later José Mari Bakero headed in on 25 minutes from a corner flicked on by Gorriz at San Mamés, with Real’s back line and the counter-attacking craft of Zamora, Begiristain and López Ufarte highlighted. Now, 103 years after the first Basque semi-final, parity will be broken, Real seemingly in better form yet Athletic adept in the Copa.

Source: Diario Vasco