Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium To Host Copa Del Rey Final

Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano stadium has been chosen as the venue for this season's Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Sevilla, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed on Monday. The 68,000-seat stadium, which was opened at the start of this season, will stage the game on Saturday, April 21. The decision means that Atletico's home game with Betis in La Liga, scheduled for that weekend, will have to be moved. Barcelona's home game with Villarreal and the match between Sevilla and Real Madrid have already been moved from that weekend to Wednesday, May 9.

Atletico's ground was the only realistic option to host the final, with Real Madrid never likely to agree to stage the game at their 81,000-capacity Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey in each of the last three seasons and will be appearing in their fifth consecutive final. Next season's Champions League final will also be played at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Earlier on Friday, Philippe Coutinho came off the bench to score his first goal for Barcelona in a 2-0 win at Valencia that saw his new club ease into another Copa del Rey final. Coutinho broke the deadlock in the 49th minute of the semi-final, second leg at Mestalla, having only come on at the start of the second half. It was the first time the Brazilian had found the net since his blockbuster 160 million-euro (USD 192 million) move from Liverpool in early January. Ivan Rakitic then swept home the second goal eight minutes from the end as holders Barcelona secured a place in the final for the fifth season running, becoming the first side to achieve such a feat.

(With AFP Inputs)