Features
FRI 29.05.2015
Athletic Club and FC Barcelona will play the final of the Copa del Rey on Saturday at the a Camp Nou. The Basque and Catalan sides are the two teams with most cup titles in their trophy cabinets, with Athletic owning 23 while the Blaugrana 26. This will be the eighth occasion in which they have played each other in the final of this tournament.
Barcelona have the favourable head to head record, with five wins and just two defeats. The first final between themselves and Athletic was played at the El Molinónen in 1920. The Catalan side won thanks to a 2-0 victory secured by Vicente Martínez and Paulino Alcántara. 12 years later, in 1932, the Bilbao outfit gained revenge as they won the final in Chamartín 1-0 thanks to a goal from Agustín Sauto 'Bata'.
In 1942 they played again at the same stadium. This time Barcelona won 4-3 after extra time thanks to a Mariano Martín effort. In 1953 the azulgranas once against downed Athletic in Chamartín 2-1 with goals from László Kubala and Eduardo Manchón for Barcelona and Venancio Pérez for Athletic.
Athletic got s taste of victory over Barcelona in the final of the cup in 1984. A solitary strike from Endika Guarrotxena allowed the Rojiblancos to lift the trophy at the Santiago Bernabéu. The next time the sides met was 25 years later in the 2009 final at Mestalla, and Barcelona controlled things, winning 4-1. Three years later in 2012, history repeated itself at the Vicente Calderón and this time Barcelona's winning margin was 3-0.
© LALIGA - 2015