In-depth Analysis
Athletic Bilbao are currently the second most successful club in the history of the Copa del Rey with 24 titles. They rank only behind FC Barcelona (32 titles) and still have four more trophies than Real Madrid in this competition. However, most of Bilbao’s glorious achievements date back several decades.
The Basque side lifted the trophy in the 2023/24 season, but that was their first Copa del Rey triumph since the 1983/84 campaign. More notably, Athletic have not defeated Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey since February 1982. Furthermore, they also failed to win their most recent Basque derby across all competitions.
These statistics suggest that history is not on Bilbao’s side. This presents a significant obstacle if they hope to overturn the situation against an opponent who narrowly beat them in the first leg. Meanwhile, Sociedad only need a draw to secure qualification. With the advantage they hold and the backing of their home supporters, they could even aim for an even better result.