Real Sociedad’s Sergio Gomez was the hero of the night as his decisive goal secured a 2-1 victory over Real Valladolid. After the match, Gomez reflected on the team’s morale and looked ahead to the critical second-leg clash against [Real Madrid](https://www.managingmadrid.com) in the Copa del Rey semi-final, with his side trailing 1-0 on aggregate.
“The result in the first leg is positive for Madrid, but these three points give us confidence going into Madrid, thinking we can get through the tie and reach the final,” Gomez said. “If we’re not confident, it’s better not to go. A final is at stake; the staff and several players have been able to win at the Bernabéu a few years ago, and that year we won the Copa del Rey, so we’re incredibly excited. I hope we can overturn the tie and reach a final that we and the fans will enjoy.”
Real Sociedad will need to bring their best at the Bernabéu to turn the tie around. Despite the narrow deficit, Gomez believes in the team’s ability to challenge the reigning Spanish giants.
“Winning in the full 90 minutes would force extra time if the deficit is only one goal, but what’s clear is that we have to go out to win,” he stated. “We’re a brave team, we play to have the ball and win. We know we’ll have difficulties because they’re a great team. We’ll have to be very careful with the counterattacks. I think if we control them, we’ll be closer to winning the game.”