Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao Set for 2020 Spanish Copa Del Rey Final

The Copa del Rey will be contested between two Basque clubs for the first time since 1927 after fierce rivals Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao progressed to the 2020 final.

This is the first time a Basque Derby will headline as the main event in Spain's oldest club competition, with these two teams having never met before in a decider in this format: 

Athletic were the second team to book their place in the final at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville on April 18 despite losing 2-1 away to Granada on Thursday.

After 1-0 win in the first leg, they trailed by two in the second leg and were set for a semi-final departure before former Sociedad defender Yuri Berchiche came up with a crucial away goal following his barnstorming run down the left with nine minutes to go.

Granada attacker Darwin Machis had assisted goals for Carlos Fernandez and German Sanchez in the second half, but their remarkable run ended at the penultimate stage following Yuri's late intervention.

La Real beat Mirandes home and away to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory in their semi-final, with academy graduate Mikel Oyarzabal playing an important role with one penalty in each leg.

It's been almost a century since two Basque teams last battled for the Copa, per Gracenote Olympic:

This will also be just the fourth time in history that the final will feature two Basque clubs. Real Union were called Racing de Irun when they beat Athletic 1-0 in the 1913 decider, while Sociedad went by Vasconia when they finished second to Los Leones in 1910 when the competition was two round-robin tournaments.

A place in the final is also a fine reward for Imanol Alguacil, who has led Sociedad to the brink of La Liga's elite in his first full season in charge. His side sit sixth in the standings with one game in hand at present and have won their last five games across all competitions.

Football journalists Euan McTear and Alexandra Jonson were among those who paid tribute to the two clubs for their rare achievement:

Spanish authorities have earned widespread plaudits for their revamp of the Copa del Rey this season, with the final set to feature neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid for the first time in a decade.

It remains two teams from the top flight who will fight for the crown, but neutrals will likely appreciate witnessing the lesser-seen likes of Sociedad and Athletic make it all the same.

Broadcaster Deji Faremi hailed this year's contest, which restricted two-legged fixtures until the semi-finals and gave greater scope for more lower-league clubs to make the latter stages:

Athletic have won the Copa del Rey on 23 occasions and are second only to Barcelona (30 titles) in the all-time winners list, while Sociedad have clinched the trophy in two of their seven appearances. 

Coach Gaizka Garitano will lead Los Leones back to this fixture after a five-year final absence, and it's been 32 years since La Real last made it this far.

Sociedad may well consider themselves favourite for the clash accounting for the form of the two teams so far this season, though Athletic have won in two of the last three Basque Derby encounters.