Unai Marrero was the hero in the final. He was chosen for the final and could do nothing about the first shot on goal by Lookman, which ended in a goal. He also didn’t have much work in the first half. In the second half, Atlético pushed forward, but he showed good command of the area and a lot of personality. He was beaten by Julián Álvarez’s strike for the 2-2 goal. He stopped the first and second penalties.
Defensive Performances Under Scrutiny
Aramburu fought hard but struggled with Lookman, as Atlético focused their play on that side. Despite this, he held on well, showing great heart. Atlético looked to exploit his weaknesses. He ended up exhausted and had to be substituted in the second period of extra time.
Jon Martín was superb with and without the ball. He was the best player for Real Sociedad and perhaps of the entire match. He made a great defensive play at 17 minutes with Julián Álvarez claiming a foul that wasn’t. He hardly made any concessions and, at only 19 years old, showed he is a top centre-back.
Caleta-Car was weak, giving Lookman too much space on the goal. It’s incredible that Jon Martín, a 19-year-old, was the leader of the defence in such an important match. He was slightly better in the second half, but he is not a reliable defender. He ended up with cramps.
Sergio Gómez didn’t have much work in the first half since Atlético always attacked down Aranburu’s side, and Guedes closed off his path to move upfield. He put in some good crosses. With Aihen’s exit in the second half, he sometimes became a fifth defender. He was substituted in the 88th minute.
Midfield Battles and Attacking Threat
Turrientes was deceived by Julián Álvarez in the play that led to Lookman’s goal. He provided good support and was very committed, risking a yellow card by always going in hard. He displayed a good effort in midfield, sometimes dropping deep to start plays and move the ball forward. He was substituted at 68 minutes.
Soler showed a high level with the ball. He had a dangerous shot in the first half that went out for a corner after hitting an Atlético defender. He is in good form and enjoying his football. He also put in a tremendous amount of work. He scored his penalty in the shootout.
Sucic played a good match, showing confidence. He pressed high up the pitch and distributed the ball quickly. His effort cannot be faulted on this occasion. He did not miss his penalty in the shootout.
Barrenetxea was at his best, showing confidence and causing problems. Almost unintentionally, he scored after ten seconds from a cross by Guedes, making it the fastest goal in the history of a Copa final. Afterwards, he tormented the Atlético defence. He was taken off exhausted at 68 minutes.
Guedes was brutal, providing the assist for Barrenetxea’s goal after 14 seconds. He had a powerful shot in the 23rd minute that hit the side netting when a goal seemed certain. He was a threat down his wing and won the penalty for the 1-2 after a heavy blow to the head from Musso. He fell awkwardly, but luckily was able to continue. He was substituted in the 78th minute, struggling.
Oyarzabal struggled to make an impact. He received a yellow card in a tussle with Le Normand.