MADRID: Alcoyano’s fairytale Copa del Rey run came to an end when they were beaten 2-1 by Athletic Bilbao in the last 16 on Thursday.

Third tier Alcoyano, who knocked out Real Madrid in the last round, looked on course for another upset when they took the lead through Pablo Carbonell’s deflected free kick six minutes before the break.

Asier Villalibre’s towering header levelled the scores on 53 minutes, however, before Inaki Williams nodded in the winner 12 minutes from time to book Bilbao’s place in the last eight.

Bilbao will be playing in the quarter-finals for the second straight season. They reached last year’s final against Basque Country rivals Real Sociedad, but the match was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic and has been rescheduled for April 3 in Seville.

The teams and the Spanish football federation had agreed to postpone the match until fans could return to stadiums, but ultimately it will be played without attendance at the La Cartuja Stadium because the problems related to the pandemic are yet to subside.

Earlier on Thursday, Navalcarnero, the other third tier side left in the competition, were crushed 6-0 by La Liga team Granada with four goals scored in the first 34 minutes, including one by veteran striker Roberto Soldado.

Granada reached the semi-finals last year and will host in Barcelona in the quarter-finals after the draw was made on Friday while Bilbao face an away tie at Real Betis.

Almeria, the only remaining side from Spain’s second tier, will host Sevilla for a place in the semis, while the draw is completed with a Valencian regional derby as Levante take on Villarreal.

The fixtures will take place from February 2-4 and are single-leg ties.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2021