Athletic Bilbao Edges Past Logroñés on Penalties in Copa del Rey

Athletic Bilbao survived a scare in the Copa del Rey round of 16, needing a penalty shootout to overcome fourth-division side Logroñés after 120 goalless minutes.

The La Liga club struggled to break down their lower-league opponents throughout regulation time and extra time at the Estadio Las Gaunas. With the match still deadlocked at 0-0, penalties were required to determine who would advance to the next round.

Athletic held their nerve in the shootout, converting 4 of their spot kicks while Logroñés could only manage 3 successful penalties. The narrow victory sees Athletic progress to the round of 16, where they will await their next opponent following an upcoming draw.

While Athletic ultimately got the job done, the performance raises some concerns as they were pushed to the limit by a team three divisions below them. Manager Ernesto Valverde will be relieved to avoid a humiliating cup exit but will demand much more from his side in the next round as they look to make a deep run in this year’s Copa del Rey.