Madrid beats La Real after another Copa goalfest
Real Madrid came from behind to reach the Copa del Rey final as Antonio Rudiger scored an extra-time header to secure a barnstorming 4-4 draw with Real Sociedad for a 5-4 aggregate win.
In an incredible second-half of football, both teams had put one foot in the final, but the defender dealt La Real the heartbreaking blow in the 115th minute.
The visitors gave Madrid a scare as they grabbed the lead through Ander Barrenetxea in the 16th minute, who slotted a fine strike through Andrii Lunin's legs.
However, Endrick restored parity in the second leg, latching on to Vinicius Junior's superb outside-of-the-boot throughball to dink the equaliser over Alex Remiro 15 minutes later.
After a 1-0 win in the first leg, Carlo Ancelotti's side looked comfortable in the second half, with a draw enough to secure a place in the final for Los Blancos.
They found themselves pegged back once more in the 72nd minute, as Pablo Marin's pullback was diverted into the Madrid net by an unfortunate David Alaba.
Mikel Oyarzabal then gave La Real the aggregate lead for the first time, with his strike also taking a big deflection off Alaba, which took it away from Lunin and in off the post.
However, Madrid hit back two minutes later as Jude Bellingham fired home a first-time effort from close range and Aurelien Tchouameni thought he had sent Los Blancos to the final when he headed in Rodrygo's corner in the 86th minute.
Alaba's woeful night was not yet over, though, as he failed to clear a corner, and Oyarzabal was left unmarked to head in the Basque side's fourth goal three minutes into stoppage-time, taking the match into extra-time.
Just when it looked like penalties were looming, substitute Rudiger stepped up to the plate. He rose high to head Rodrygo's corner into the bottom-left corner for the equaliser, sending Madrid through on aggregate.
Madrid, which has won the Copa del Rey only once in the past decade, will play either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in what promises to be a mouth-watering final in Seville next month.




