Martin Odegaard, Real Sociedad Beat Mirandes in Leg 1 of Copa del Rey Clash

Real Sociedad moved one step closer to the Copa del Rey final Thursday, beating Mirandes 2-1 in the first leg of their semi-final tie.

Mikel Oyarzabal and Martin Odegaard got the goals for the Txuri Urdin in the first half. Matheus scored for Mirandes.

The two teams will meet again March 4 for the second leg. Athletic beat Granada 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday.

Second-division minnows Mirandes had no interest in sitting back against La Real, coming out with plenty of aggression early. It led to an entertaining first half, with lots of physical play and three goals.

Loanee Martin Merquelanz nearly broke the deadlock against his parent club, but instead, the goal fell on the other end of the pitch. Cristian Portu took advantage of Mirandes' aggressive play to earn his side a penalty, and Oyarzabal converted:

But the early setback didn't dampen Mirandes' spirits, and the visitors continued to push forward. Merquelanz proved a major handful, putting together a great outing that may have the Txuri Urdin rethinking their long-terms plans for the Basque.

They didn't put together a lot of chances, but when they did finally put Alex Remiro under pressure, the ball went in. Mickael Malsa did a great job getting the ball to Aias, and thanks to a deflection off Nacho Monreal, Remiro had no chance.

Mirandes couldn't enjoy their goal for very long, however. Just minutes after they tied things up, Odegaard restored the lead, despite the best efforts of Limones. The stopper saved his initial shot and the follow-up from Portu, but the rebound fell back into the feet of the Norwegian, who blasted home.

The Spanish Football Podcast crew thoroughly enjoyed the first half:

Antonio Sanchez put Remiro to work early in the second half, and Limones matched his save with a phenomenal stop on Portu during the resulting counter. 

Portu had something spectacular in mind when Oyarzabal found him in the box, but his shot went over the goal. 

Mirandes lost a bit of steam as the half wore on, while La Real's passing attack started to exploit the gaps. Aias claimed a penalty after some minor contact in the box, to no avail, and Remiro made a good read on a free-kick from Merquelanz.

Willian Jose came on as a substitute and immediately set up Oyarzabal with a golden chance, but the scorer took too long to sort his feet, allowing the defenders to recover in time. He didn't fare any better when Odegaard sent a wonderful ball over the top, with Limones intervening.

La Real ushed for a third goal late, but Mirandes defended well. Mikel Merino nearly got a shot off inside the box, and Limones went down well to deny Oyarzabal from long range. 

The very last chance fell to the Txuri Urdin, but Limones continued his superb half with a great save after a defender accidentally turned the ball toward his own goal.

What's Next?

La Real visit Eibar for a Basque derby on Sunday. Mirandes host Albacete.