Athletic and Mallorca face each other in the final of the Copa del Rey – – 2024-04-08 05:29:11

Athletic Club and Mallorca face each other this Saturday at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville in the final of the 2023/24 Copa del Rey, a match that is presented as a true date with history, a challenge to end a drought of 40 years in the case of Ernesto Valverde’s team and 21 in the case of Mexican Javier Aguirre’s team.

A duel of styles is presumed, that of the vertigo and intensity that Athletic embodies, which in view of the development of the season goes to the match as the theoretical favorite, and that of the block and firmness at the back that has pushed towards its fourth cup final. to Mallorca.

The Basque team is searching in Seville, again in La Cartuja, the scene of its latest disappointments in the competition, for its most desired Cup, the one it has not achieved for 40 years after being the undisputed king of cups for almost a century.

It would be number 24, according to official statistics, and the 25th recorded by the Basque club itself, which includes among them the Coronation Cup of 1902, the tournament for the celebrations of the coronation of Alfonso XIII that served as the embryo of what has since been known as the Cup with its different surnames.

The Bilbao team reaches what would be its fortieth final, understanding as such the stakes that gave it its titles or its 15 runners-up finishes. Without a doubt this is the title that Athletic has desired the most because it lost in the last six finals it reached, the first of them in 1985, the year after its last title, and the last five already in the last decade and a half. of continually coming face to face with Leo Messi’s great Barça

Although the neighboring Real Sociedad also prevented him from reaching the long-awaited tournament, which won the longest final in memory, that of 2020, which had to be played a year later than it was scheduled due to the covid pandemic.

A couple of Super Cups won in fifteen years in a row at a high level, also beating Messi’s Barcelona, ​​were not enough for fans disappointed again and again after moving en masse to final after final. This time there are an estimated 70,000 fans who will accompany the ‘lions’ in their fetish match.

To this appointment, however, Athletic arrives almost full. After a defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu that was in the script due to its inopportune placement on the calendar but fighting Atlético de Madrid for a place in the Champions League next year. And in the Cup, counting all the games played by victories: seven. Including one to Barcelona and two to Atlético.

He does it with a team full of intensity, pressure on the rival, deployment and offensive spirit. And a luxury forward with the internationals Nico and Iñaki Williams and Oihan Sancet accompanied by the discovery of Gorka Guruzeta (15 goals so far this season).

And with a very balanced and reliable eleven led by Ernesto Valverde, who will not have another of his stars tomorrow, goalkeeper Unai Simón, starter with Spain, because he has chosen Julen Agirrezabala for the Cup.

In sports, in addition to defeating a Mallorca team that he considers very difficult to beat, the Rojibanco coach’s concerns are how Nico Williams and Yeray Álvarez will fare, both in doubt due to muscle problems.

Although both seem to be available, Yeray, whose injury occurred this last Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu, is more than likely to remain on the bench from the start. So the centre-back pairing will be Dani Vivian -another international- and Aitor Paredes.

The sides will be occupied by the experienced Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche and for the double pivot of the 1-4-2-3-1 that Txungurri likes so much, the favorites are the former Mallorcan player Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Beñat Prados. Two unexpected ‘gifts’ for Athletic this season that have raised their team’s level of play far above what was expected.

Aguirre’s Mallorca feels very comfortable with the status of great favorite of its rival, but the team, deep down, knows that it has options and will fight to touch the sky to lift the second trophy in its history after the one it won in 2003 in Elche.

“Mallorca will give everything.” It is the phrase that summarizes the feeling of the players, coaching staff, management and the 21,000 fans who will accompany the team at the La Cartuja stadium this Saturday.

Thousands of others will also experience the final in all the towns on the island, and with the meeting point located around the giant screen in the heart of Palma, near the traditional Plaza de las Tortugas, where Mallorcan fans celebrate their triumphs, like the massive promotion party in 2021.

Aguirre did not want to show his cards before the decisive clash. In the last training session held at the Son Bibiloni facilities, ‘Vasco’ had all of its players, including center back Martín Valjent and midfielder Omar Mascarell. Their participation raised doubts, but it is likely that they will be available to the Mexico City coach if he deems it appropriate.

Aguirre can repeat in the final his now classic defensive block formed by three centre-backs and two wingers with an offensive vocation, such as the Uruguayan Gío González (scorer of the goal in the 1-1 draw against RealSociedad at the Reale Arena), and the Valencian Jaume Costa .

In goal, the Slovakian Dominik Greif will maintain the ownership that he has earned with decisive interventions, accompanied in the center of the defense, possibly, by Martin Valjent, Antonio Raillo and José Copete.

If the vermilion team takes the field with two forwards (Muriqi, Larín or Abdón Prats), Samu Costa, Sergi Darder and Dani Rodríguez will make up the midfield; If only Muriqi plays up front, the wide zone will be reinforced with a fourth central midfielder, possibly Manu Morlanes.