Atletico Madrid joined Real Sociedad, Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao for the Copa del Rey semifinal draw after beating Sevilla at home 1-0 thanks to a second-half goal by Memphis Depay on Thursday night.
Atletico were dominating most of the first half but struggled to capitalize on their chances, while Sevilla were understandably short of ideas and creativity. Atletico's first crucial chance came when a penalty was awarded to them in the 23rd minute, after Marcao stuck up a leg and brought down Nahuel Molina, but Antoine Griezmann slipped and failed to convert.
Atletico didn't let the disappointment of a missed penalty upset them, with Alvaro Morata going close and Rodrigo de Paul forcing a yellow card for Sergio Ramos.
Atletico Madrid players celebrate after taking a 1-0 lead during their Copa del Rey quarterfinal clash with Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, January 25, 2024. /CFP
Griezmann had the ball in the net in the 59th minute with a first-time volley, but it was ruled out for a narrow offside, and 10 minutes later Depay, who had replaced Griezmann, also saw a goal ruled out as he strayed ahead of the Sevilla defense. Angel Correa had another goal ruled offside, before he set up Depay for a simple finish that finally gave Atletico a lead ten minutes before time.
Sevilla could have equalized in stoppage time after Pablo Barrios's slide tackle on Erik Lamela earned them a penalty, but a VAR review overturned the decision.
"We have made a great effort to be where we are and in the second half we had a different tempo, we played more risky and the changes gave us the jump we needed," said Atletico manager Diego Simeone.
Earlier on Wednesday, Athletic Club edged out Barcelona 4-2, and Mallorca outclassed league leaders Girona 3-2, following Real Sociedad's 2-1 win over Celta Vigo a day ago.
(With input from Reuters, Xinhua)