Real Sociedad Defeats Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in Copa del Rey Semifinal First Leg

The Basque derby match was the first leg of the Spanish cup competition's semifinal round.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Real Sociedad defeated Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal matchup on Wednesday. The Basque derby match was played at Athletic Bilbao's home stadium.

Why it matters

The Copa del Rey is one of Spain's most prestigious football competitions, and the Basque derby between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao is a longstanding rivalry. This semifinal first leg result sets the stage for the decisive second leg to determine which team will advance to the final.

The details

Real Sociedad scored the lone goal of the match, giving them a narrow 1-0 advantage heading into the second leg. The win extends Real Sociedad's unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 matches.

  • The match was played on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

The players

Real Sociedad

A professional football club based in San Sebastián, Spain that competes in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football.

Athletic Bilbao

A professional football club based in Bilbao, Spain that also competes in La Liga.

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What’s next

The second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao will be played at Real Sociedad's home stadium on February 25, 2026.

The takeaway

This narrow victory for Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Basque derby Copa del Rey semifinal sets up an intriguing second leg, as both teams vie to advance to the prestigious cup final.