Real Sociedad Vs Athletic Club: Matarazzo and Valverde set for decisive Anoeta semi-final
real sociedad vs athletic club headlines a tense Copa del Rey semi-final second leg as Athletic travel to Anoeta knowing they must overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first match; kickoff is scheduled for Wednesday night at 21: 00 CEST.
Real Sociedad Vs Athletic Club: coaches outline short, urgent plans
Ernesto Valverde framed the visit to Anoeta in stark, clear terms: Athletic simply must come back from a 1-0 first-leg deficit. Valverde said he was not thinking about how he wanted the 90 minutes to feel but about the plan he wanted his players to carry out, adding that if his side did not concede they would only need one goal, and if they did concede they would have to score more.
Pellegrino Matarazzo struck a similar focus on process. He said he felt “a really good energy, the perfect level of tension” in training and urged players to concentrate on winning every duel and every pass rather than managing the game as a whole. Under Matarazzo, La Real went on a nine-game unbeaten run, which ended after their victory against Athletic in the first leg.
Lineups, fitness and goalkeeper hints ahead of the tie
Valverde confirmed that Nico Williams would not be fit to play and said Yuri Berchiche and Aymeric Laporte were dealing with discomfort and would be late decisions for the match. Matarazzo said Orri Oskarsson would not be in the squad as he continues his recovery, while Ander Barrenetxea and Luka Sucic are fit enough to play an hour.
Both managers also seemed to hint that reserve goalkeepers would start: Alex Padilla for Athletic and Unai Marrero for Real Sociedad. Those suggestions leave the starting XIs and certain late decisions dependent on the final fitness checks around kickoff.
What the tie now demands
With Athletic chasing a goal at Anoeta to level the tie on aggregate, Valverde stressed treating the match like a must-win game and adapting if the game changes in a minute. Matarazzo warned against excess tension and pushed for a measured mix of excitement and relaxation to maintain focus on every situation during the 90 minutes.
The immediate consequence is simple: Athletic must overturn the 1-0 deficit, while Real Sociedad can protect that lead at home. Fitness doubts over Nico Williams, Berchiche and Laporte and the absence of Orri Oskarsson could shape how both managers set up their teams and manage substitutions across the match.
On the wider Copa del Rey calendar, Atletico Madrid is scheduled to face Athletic Bilbao/Real Sociedad at Estadio de La Cartuja on Sat, Apr 18, 2026, 19: 00 UTC, a fixture already listed on the competition’s match calendar.
