Rüdiger’s Extra-Time Header Sends Real Madrid into Copa del Rey Final After 8-Goal Thriller

Antonio Rüdiger scored an extra-time winner as Real Madrid edged Real Sociedad 5-4 on aggregate to reach the Copa del Rey final, following a chaotic 4-4 draw in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday night, April 1st.

Real Madrid entered the match with a 1-0 lead from the first leg, but Real Sociedad stunned the hosts early on. Ander Barrenetxea opened the scoring in the 16th minute, leveling the tie on aggregate. Teenager Endrick, starting in place of the rested Kylian Mbappé, responded for Madrid with a brilliantly dinked finish in the 31st minute after a superb long pass from Vinícius Jr.

However, Real Sociedad took control of the tie with two goals largely aided by deflections off Real Madrid defender David Alaba. First, Pablo Marín’s strike deflected past Andriy Lunin, and then Mikel Oyarzabal’s shot also took a significant touch off Alaba to make it 3-1 to Sociedad on the night (3-2 aggregate) in the 80th minute.

Real Madrid mounted a rapid comeback. Jude Bellingham fired home from close range in the 82nd minute, and Aurélien Tchouaméni headed in from a Rodrygo corner four minutes later to put Madrid back ahead 4-3 on aggregate.

The drama wasn’t over. In the third minute of stoppage time, Alaba failed to clear a corner, allowing Oyarzabal to head home unmarked, sending the tie to extra time at 4-4 on aggregate.

Substitute Antonio Rüdiger, who had replaced Alaba, scored the decisive goal in extra time, heading home from a corner delivered by fellow substitute Arda Güler.

“I don’t know how to describe how I feel,” Tchouaméni told Real Madrid TV. “Yes, we are happy, because we are going to play a final, but as far as the match is concerned… we can’t be happy with that. We gave everything until the end… but we have to play better than we did today.”

Real Madrid, who have won the Copa del Rey only once in the past decade, will face either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the final in Seville next month. The other semi-final stands at 4-4 after the first leg.