Real Madrid secured a spot in the finals following a fierce battle.

Real Madrid drew 4-4 against Real Sociedad in the second leg of the 2024-2025 Copa del Rey semifinals held at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain, at 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 2 (Korean time). Having led 1-0 in the first leg, Real progressed to the finals with a total score of 5-4.

Real lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Endrick took the forefront, while Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo formed the attacking midfield. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde filled the midfield, and Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Raúl Asensio, and Lucas Vázquez formed the back four. Andriy Lunin guarded the goal.

Sociedad responded with a 4-3-3 formation. Ander Barrenetxea, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Takefusa Kubo made up the front line, while Pablo Marín, Martín Zubimendi, and Luka Sucic filled the midfield. Aihen Muñoz, Nayef Aguerd, Igor Zubeldia, and Jon Aramburu formed the back four, with goalkeeper Alex Remiro donning the gloves.

The early stages of the match favored Sociedad. In the 16th minute of the first half, Ander Barrenetxea opened the scoring, putting Real's goal at risk first. However, Real quickly retaliated, and in the 30th minute, rising star Endrick calmly finished off a pass from Vinicius to level the match.

In the second half, the match surged dramatically. Sociedad added two goals, capitalizing on David Alaba's own goal and a deflected shot, pulling ahead 3-1. Notably, Takefusa Kubo's sharp breakthrough led to Mikel Oyarzabal's shot hitting Alaba and deflecting into the net, a pivotal moment of the match.

Fueled by the home fans' support, Real's counterattack was fierce. In the 37th minute of the second half, Vinicius broke down the left flank and delivered a cross that Jude Bellingham skillfully finished off, igniting the fire of pursuit. Just a few minutes later, Tchouaméni scored with a header from a corner kick, bringing the match back to even.

In injury time, Sociedad once again took the lead. In a set-piece situation, Oyarzabal scored with a header to grab a 4-3 lead.

In a fateful injury time, Real ultimately emerged victorious. In the 9th minute of extra time, a sharp cross from substitute Arda Güler was connected by Rüdiger with a header, recording the equalizer and securing a spot in the finals.

Despite Sociedad's relentless onslaught in the match's final moments, Real managed the remaining time steadily, advancing to the finals with a total score of 5-4.

In the upcoming final, Real Madrid will clash for the championship trophy against the winner of the match between Atlético Madrid and FC Barcelona. Meanwhile, there is keen interest in whether it will be a Madrid derby or an El Clásico for Real. Atlético and Barcelona will face off on Dec. 3 at 4:30 a.m.

[OSEN]