Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid will be the semifinals of the 2024/25 Spanish Copa del Rey, according to the draw held this Wednesday at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) headquarters in Las Rozas, Madrid.

This will be the first round played over two legs, with the first leg set for February 26 and the second leg on April 2.

Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad: A Historic Copa del Rey Clash

Real Sociedad and Real Madrid will face off in the Copa del Rey semifinals for the fifth time in history and the first since their quarterfinal encounter five years ago. That match, a single-leg tie at the Santiago Bernabéu, ended in a thrilling 3-4 victory for Imanol Alguacil’s side.

So far, both teams have won two semifinal matchups against each other, making this a decisive tiebreaker. In overall Copa del Rey encounters, Real Madrid holds the advantage with six knockout round victories compared to four for the Basque side.

First Encounter and Early Battles

Their first meeting came in the 1950-51 semifinals, where Real Sociedad advanced after a 1-0 home win (goal by Artigas) and a 2-0 triumph in Madrid (goals by Barinaga and Caeiro). However, they later lost the final to Barcelona.

Real Madrid won the next four encounters, prevailing in the 1952-53 quarterfinals, the 1955-56 round of 16, the 1957-58 semifinals (before losing to Athletic Club in the final), and the 1963-64 round of 16.

Fourteen years later, Real Sociedad had their revenge in the 1977-78 round of 16. Under José Antonio Irulegui, they secured a 2-0 first-leg win in San Sebastián with a brace from Roberto López Ufarte. In the return leg, a second-half goal from Jesús Mari Satrústegui sealed a 2-1 victory and eliminated Luis Molowny’s Madrid side.

Penalty Shootouts, Big Wins, and Star Performances

In the 1980-81 semifinals, Real Madrid scraped through on penalties before eventually winning the final against Sporting Gijón. Satrústegui scored the only goal in the first leg, while Juanito Gómez equalized in the second leg. Madrid then won the shootout 4-3.

The back-and-forth continued in subsequent meetings. In the 1987-88 semifinals, José Mari Bakero led Real Sociedad to victory, scoring in a 1-0 first-leg win and netting twice in a 4-0 demolition at the Bernabéu. However, in the 1992-93 quarterfinals, Iván Zamorano’s brace helped Real Madrid secure a 4-1 first-leg win. Despite a strong fightback from Sociedad in the second leg (4-1), Juan Eduardo Esnáider’s goal ensured Madrid’s passage.

A Modern Classic: The 2019-20 Quarterfinals

The most recent meeting came in the 2019-20 quarterfinals, a single-leg showdown at the Bernabéu. In a spectacular match, Real Sociedad emerged victorious with goals from Martin Ødegaard, Alexander Isak (2), and Mikel Merino. Marcelo, Rodrygo Goes, and Nacho Fernández scored for Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid side, but it wasn’t enough to prevent elimination.

Now, five years later, these two teams will write another chapter in their Copa del Rey history.

Has Lamine Yamal’s Magic Faded? Barcelona Star Goes Over 100 Days Without a LaLiga Goal

There’s no doubt about Lamine Yamal’s immense talent, and it’s no secret that Hansi Flick’s Barcelona performs better when he’s available. The impact of his absence due to injury was evident, and now the team faces another concern.

Lamine Yamal’s Goal Drought

The worrying news for Barcelona is that Lamine Yamal hasn’t found the net in LaLiga for over 100 days.

To be precise, his last league goal came on October 10, 2024, in Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. Since then, 106 days have passed, and he has gone without scoring in 12 matches, missing three games due to an ankle injury.

Scoring in Other Competitions

However, this dry spell is only in LaLiga. Lamine Yamal has still managed to score in the Champions League, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup.

Despite this goal drought in domestic competition, his overall season remains impressive. The 17-year-old boasts 11 goals and 14 assists, a double-digit tally that not many players can achieve.

Still, breaking his LaLiga drought remains a key priority for Barcelona as they push forward in the season.