SEVILLA, Spain (Interstat) — In a thrilling and chaotic finale to the Copa del Rey Juvenil final, Club Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad played to a 2-2 draw through 120 minutes on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla, forcing the Spanish youth cup championship to be decided from the penalty spot.

The match, which defied pregame projections that heavily favored Real Sociedad, was ultimately decided by late-game substitutes, with Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal delivering a monumental performance off the bench to force extra time and set up a dramatic conclusion.

Real Sociedad struck first with stunning speed. Just 60 seconds after kickoff, substitute Ander Barrenetxea found the net, capitalizing on early disorganization in the Atlético Madrid defense to stun the heavily favored rojiblancos. The early goal seemed to confirm the statistical models, which gave Real Sociedad an 80.70 percent probability of victory.

Atlético Madrid, however, weathered the early storm and found an equalizer in the 18th minute. Forward Ademola Lookman leveled the score, settling the match into a tense and physical battle. The first half was marked by a flurry of yellow cards, with Oyarzabal, Robin Le Normand of Real Sociedad and Atlético goalkeeper Juan Musso all being booked between the 30th and 43rd minutes.

The tactical stalemate continued through much of the second half. As the match approached its final stages, Atlético Madrid appeared to have secured the trophy. In the 83rd minute, forward Julián Álvarez finished a chance to give Atlético a 2-1 lead, seemingly overturning the early deficit and the pregame narrative.

With time running out, Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil turned to his bench for a final lifeline. The decision proved inspired. In second-half stoppage time, Oyarzabal, who had entered the match earlier, provided a moment of brilliance. He assisted on a crucial goal, the scorer unconfirmed in the available data but pivotal in tying the match at 2-2, sending the final into extra time.

The additional 30 minutes were fraught with tension and fatigue, but neither side could find a winning goal. The physical and emotional toll of the match manifested in two more yellow cards deep into extra time, shown to Jon Gorrotxategi and Aritz Elustondo in the 120th minute and beyond.

The 2-2 draw after regulation and extra time meant the Copa del Rey Juvenil title would be determined by a penalty shootout, a result that contradicted the pregame simulation from Interstat, which had projected a narrow 1-0 victory for Atlético Madrid.

The result leaves both teams with identical records in the competition and across all competitions this season: 0 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw. The shared statistics underscore the even nature of a final that required more than two hours to produce a nominal winner, with the ultimate champion to be crowned from the penalty spot.