This trophy was awaited for 40 years! "Athletic" won the Spanish Cup in a dramatic penalty shootout "Mallorca" performed terribly from the penalty spot.

"Athletic" is the holder of the Spanish Cup! The final in Seville ended with a penalty shootout, in which the Basques defeated "Mallorca". "Athletic" is considered the favorite of the final. Ernesto Valverde's team is in fifth place in the Spanish championship and is fighting for a place in the Champions League. On the other hand, Javier Agirre's team is only in 14th position in La Liga - six points away from the relegation zone. There was also history behind the Basques. "Athletic" won this trophy 23 times, although the last time was exactly 40 years ago - in 1984. "Mallorca", on the other hand, won the Spanish Cup only once, in 2003.

But there was no advantage for anyone on the field. It was a real cup battle. "Mallorca" played in their usual 5-3-2 formation and traditionally relied on shots from their forwards, while also keeping their lines high enough to win back possession in the opponent's half and return the ball to themselves. "Athletic" focused on quick counterattacks in open spaces, primarily through their fast wingers, the Williams brothers. Pressuring "Mallorca", which the team from Bilbao is good at, was quite challenging.

The first shots on target for both teams came only after fifteen minutes of play. And both were from free kicks. There was no other way, as the teams were tightly intertwined. "Mallorca" blocked all passing channels through the center with three defenders and midfielders, as well as with the diligence of the forward duo assisting them. Only in the middle of the first half was a clear scoring opportunity created, which resulted in a goal. After a corner kick, the ball bounced around the Basque penalty area, all rebounds fell to Agirre's team (either luck or excellent positioning by the players), and the captain-defender Raillo played incredibly calmly - he did not shoot and rolled the ball to Dani Rodriguez. He was in the best position, so the ball went into the net of Ahirresalaba's goal. By the way, both coaches left their second goalkeepers in the Spanish Cup. It seemed like there was no part of the field where players' bones weren't squeaking after intense battles. Falling behind, "Athletic" managed to finally press "Mallorca" towards their penalty area, but Agirre's team wasn’t accustomed to a "park the bus" tactic. Nevertheless, thanks to the left winger Nico Williams, the Basques created several opportunities. He even scored after a one-two with Berchiche, but he was slightly offside, and the goal was disallowed.

The start of the second half was a real storm! "Mallorca" had a great chance to pull the trophy to themselves by taking a 2-0 lead just 16 seconds after the break. Muriqui passed to Larin, and the central defender Vivian not only created space, but also outrageously allowed the Canadian to easily move away from the ball. Larin ran towards the goal and shot towards the far corner, but Ahirresalaba saved.

However, this little mishap did not stop "Athletic". The Basques increased the tempo to the maximum and began creating chance after chance. Nico Williams showed incredible courage, and the right center-back of "Mallorca" Valentin and full-back Gonzales couldn't keep up. Williams even scored a goal after intercepting the ball on the edge of a foul and passing to Sanzet. Valentin seemed to be confused, not aware of what was happening behind him, and the attacking midfielder of "Athletic", diving into the free zone, scored past the Slovak goalkeeper Greifu. Having the ball 75% of the time, Valverde's team continued to exert maximum pressure on the defense of "Mallorca". However, some counterattacks from Agirre's team were also dangerous. Once after a cross from Muriqui, the ball hit the post - the Basques were lucky with the rebound. "Mallorca" certainly deserved all kinds of compliments for their dedication and passion in this Spanish Cup. For them, unlike "Athletic", this was also their only chance to qualify for European competitions in the next season.

A series of substitutions and a switch to a 5-4-1 formation helped Agirre's team to better close the flanks and slightly calm down "Athletic". The defensive midfielder Samu Costa collected powerful statistics: 11 successful defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, clearances), 12 won duels. And the Basques were getting tired - it is impossible to play at such a tempo all the time. In 90+ minutes, Valverde's team had 24 shots with seven on target against 12 shots from "Mallorca" with four on target, but they still couldn't score, and the game went into extra time.

Despite "Athletic" dominating in extra time, the only scoring chance the Basques created was in the 112th minute: Nico Williams shot from the goal line, but the ball just grazed the post. The Spanish Cup awaited its new owner only after a penalty shootout. Morlanes lost the duel to Ahirresalaba, and Radonjic, unable to handle the nerves, sent the ball over the goal. "Athletic" converted all of their penalties and after 40 years, they take the trophy back to Bilbao.