Copa del Rey quarter-finals: Athletic Bilbao past Valencia; Real Sociedad beats Alaves

Inaki Williams scored six minutes into injury time as Athletic Bilbao won 2-1 at Valencia to reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Wednesday, and Basque rivals Real Sociedad reached the last four with a 3-2 win at Alaves.

Bilbao will play the Copa semi-finals for the sixth time in seven seasons. It won the title in 2024 and finished runners-up to Barcelona in 2020-21 and to Sociedad in 2019-20.

Williams scored the winning goal with a left-footed strike from the center of the penalty area following a cross from his younger brother Nico Williams following a breakaway.

Bilbao, who were winless in three games in all competitions, had taken the lead in the 26th after an own goal from Umar Sadiq, who also equalized for the hosts in the 35th.

Bilbao’s Mikel Jauregizar missed a penalty after 75 minutes.

Before the match, Spanish media reported that fans threw several objects at the bus carrying Bilbao’s players.

The victory comes a few days after a mural featuring drawings by Iñaki and Nico Williams was vandalized in Bilbao, which some fans criticized.

The triumph of society

Young Icelandic forward Orri Oskarsson scored an 80th-minute winner for Sociedad, who will play in the semi-finals for the third season in a row. They last reached the Copa final when they won the competition in 2019-2020.

Abde Rebbach put the hosts ahead in the eighth minute before Mikel Oyarzabal equalized for Sociedad in the fifteenth. Alaves moved ahead again with a penalty converted by Toni Martínez in the 29th, but Gonçalo Guedes leveled the match again in the 76th.

Martínez missed a penalty in the 67th minute.

Sociedad are unbeaten since losing 2-1 at home to Girona in the Spanish league in December. On Sunday there was a 1-1 draw against Bilbao in the competition.

Alaves, who lost the 2016/17 Copa final to Barcelona, ​​had not reached the quarter-finals since 2017/18. It came after two consecutive victories in the Spanish league.

On Tuesday, Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo scored in each half as Barcelona defeated second division Albacete 2-1. Albacete had shocked Real Madrid in the round of 16, eliminating the Spanish giants in what was the debut of new coach Álvaro Arbeloa.

Real Betis will host Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid on Thursday

Published on February 5, 2026