Real Madrid lifted their 20th Spanish Cup trophy by defeating Osasuna 2-1 in the Copa del Rey final in Seville on Saturday.
Brazilian forward Rodrigo Goes put the Spanish and European champions ahead in the second minute. Madrid continued to dominate the first half and Karim Benzema missed a chance to double their lead. However, Osasuna made a strong comeback in the second half, with midfielder Lucas Toro equalizing in the 58th minute.
Venecius Jr., who was in impressive form throughout the game, was denied a penalty after going down in the box under pressure from Osasuna defender David Garcia. Venisius was sued for protesting this decision.
He also had a heated exchange with Osasuna substitute Chimi Avila at half-time, which resulted in Lucas Vazquez stepping in to end the argument.
Rodrigo scored the winner after the rebound fell, securing his brace and giving Real Madrid the trophy. The win ended Madrid’s nine-year wait to lift the Copa del Rey trophy and marked Rodrigo’s fourth trophy with the club.
Osasuna fought well throughout the game but fell short in the end. The club never won a major trophy, and this was only their second appearance in a cup final. Despite the loss, passionate Osasuna supporters celebrated their team’s efforts, including a conflagration that needed to be extinguished.
Real Madrid will now turn their attention to Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final against Manchester City.
Victory in the Copa del Rey final is expected to give Carlo Ancelotti’s side a boost of confidence ahead of the crucial clash.
Midfielder Luka Modric was left on the bench with injury, while Osasuna coach Jagoba Araset deployed midfielder Jon Monkiola at right-back to try to stop Madrid winger Venicius Junior. Venisius proved very difficult to handle and was instrumental in both of Madrid’s goals.
The win is a special moment for Rodrigo, who joined Real Madrid from Santos in 2019. The 22-year-old Brazilian now has every possible club trophy with Madrid.
“I want to win this cup a lot to win it many more times,” he said.
All in all, it was an exciting game, and Real Madrid deservedly lifted the Copa del Rey trophy. The victory is expected to boost the morale of the team as they continue to compete for more trophies this season.
