Basque double dumps Barcelona and Real Madrid out of Copa del Rey

Barcelona and Real Mrid both crashed out of Copa del Rey as Athletic Bilbao and Real Socied pulled off a shock Basque double to reach semi-finals. Barca were beaten 1-0 by Bilbao at San Mames, where Inaki Williams heed in a dramatic 93rd-minute winner, after La Real h seen off Mrid 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller at Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday. Two sensational upsets ded ar layer of excitement to a competition that has been full of surprises this season, with Bilbao and Real Socied  joining Grana and second division Mirandes in an unfamiliar line-up for draw on Friday.

"re have been some surprise results," said Williams. "Sometimes you just have to have faith and heart." 

For Barca, defeat was particularly painful, coming at end of a turbulent week that saw Lionel Messi eng in a public spat with club's sporting director Eric Abidal and Ousmane Dembele ruled out, probably for rest of season, with ar hamstring tear. To make matters worse, Gerard Pique hobbled off with his own injury problem in second half against Bilbao and looks doubtful to face Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday. Messi's riposte that "everyone should take responsibility for ir own decisions" after Abidal suggested Ernesto Valverde was sacked last month because of players, means Barcelona are in political turmoil off pitch.

And fear is Messi could even leave in summer by activating a clause in his contract that allows him to walk away from club for free. Defeat in Copa del Rey, a distant third in Barca's list of priorities this season, will t dictate Messi's thinking but ar setback certainly ds to sense of a club currently in a state of crisis. Quique Setien has lost two of his opening six games in charge, with a Champions League tie against Napoli fast-approaching. fall-out from ar failure in Europe would prove longer-lasting.

"We deserved to go through," said Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu. "But ambition and attitude I saw on field encours me for league and Champions League. Success can come." 

'It hurts'

For a rotated Mrid side, who sit top of La Liga, loss against Real Socied was perhaps less damaging, even if y conceded as many goals in 69 minutes as y h in ir last 11 matches put toger. Martin Odegaard, on loan at la Real but allowed to face his parent club, found opener before superb Alexander Isak hit two to give Real Socied a remarkable 3 0 le. Marcelo and Rodrygo both scored late in second half and while Mikel Meri ded a fourth for visitors, a Nacho Fernandez heer set up a wild final three minutes, in which Andoni Gorosabel was also sent off.

Ten-man Real Socied held on for a superb win to progress to last four while Mrid's run without success in Spain's domestic cup extends to six years. "It hurts, we have to be honest, body likes a defeat," said Mrid coach Zinedine Zidane. One consolation might have been display of 21-year-old Odegaard, who is beginning to live up to hype after signing for Mrid d 15.

On loan at Socied, plan was for Odegaard to stay one more year at Aeta but this glittering display, that earned him a standing ovation from home fans when he went off, may well persue Mrid to recall him early. ir 21-game unbeaten streak comes to an end after an uncharacteristically careless performance in which a rotated side highlighted importance of likes of Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Thibaut Courtois. Courtois' replacement Alphonse Areola was at fault for at least one of goals while Marcelo was typically unpredictable at left-back, a position more dependable Ferland Mendy has me his own in recent weeks.

Eden Hazard is training again but wait for his return goes on while Gareth Bale was again left out of squ completely. Yet Zidane's changes should take thing away from Real Socied, who showed why y were pushing for a place in La Liga's top four earlier this season, before a dip in form has seen m slip to eighth. "It is second time in 32 years we've reached semis," said ir coach Imal Alguacil. "We were convinced we could do it. But we haven't achieved anything yet."