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Athletic Bilbao players rejoicing

In the semifinals of this season's Copa del Rey (Spanish King's Cup), none of the teams ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Spanish professional soccer Primera Liga (La Liga) can be found.

Barcelona lost 2-4 to Athletic Bilbao in the 2023-2024 Copa del Rey quarterfinals held at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on the 25th (Korean time).

On this day, Girona also lost 2-3 in the quarterfinals away to Mallorca and was eliminated.

Since Real Madrid, second place in the league, was eliminated earlier, all teams ranked first to third in La Liga failed to advance to the semifinals in this season's Copa del Rey.

Instead, the final winner will be chosen among Real Sociedad, Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao, and Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona (44 points), which has been considered a rival between Real Madrid and Spain, is in 3rd place with 13 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses in the regular league this season.

Barcelona, ​​whose chances of winning the league were low as they were unable to close the gap with the leaders until mid-season, had their sights set on winning the Copa del Rey. 바카라사이트

However, after an extended struggle, they suffered a bitter taste after being blocked by Athletic Bilbao, the 5th place team in the league (12 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses, 41 points).

The balance between the two teams, which tied 2-2 in the first half, was broken when Inaki Williams scored at the end of the first half of extra time.

Williams' younger brother Nico Williams added another goal just before the end of the game, giving Athletic Bilbao a thrilling victory.

Barcelona players are disappointed

Girona, the ‘Team of the Storm’, couldn’t help but laugh.

Girona, known among domestic fans as the team that Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk) once played for, has amassed 52 points with 16 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss, maintaining its lead even in the middle of the season.

Even Girona couldn't match Mallorca's momentum that day.

Mallorca (3 wins, 11 draws, 7 losses, 20 points), which fell to 15th place this season, overcame its numerical inferiority in the second half and advanced to the semifinals.

Mallorca, who scored three goals in the first half alone to win, suffered a setback when Antonio Raijo was sent off in the 22nd minute of the second half after pushing his opponent to the ground in the penalty box after a rough fight.

Mallorca, who immediately conceded a goal through a penalty kick, conceded one more goal just before the end of the game amid Girona's strong offensive, but maintained a 3-2 victory.

Second-place Real Madrid (16 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, 51 points), which is in fierce competition with Girona for the lead, also lost 2-4 to Atletico Madrid after a bloody overtime battle in the round of 16 held in the 'Madrid Derby' on the 19th. 토토사이트