Atletico set up all Madrid cup final

MADRID (AFP) –

Atletico Madrid‘s Colombian forward Radamel Falcao (L) vies with Sevilla‘s Swiss midfielder Ivan Rakitic (R) during the Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) semi-final second leg football match Sevilla FC vs Atletico de Madrid at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan staduim in Sevilla on February 27, 2013. Atletico Madrid will play Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Cup after a 2-2 with Sevilla.

Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao was delighted with his side’s effort as they set up a Spanish Cup final with Real Madrid after a 2-2 draw away at Sevilla saw them progress 4-3 on aggregate.

“To be in the final is very important for Atletico. We are happy and proud,” he told Telecinco.

“I am very happy for the work and effort shown by the whole team.”

Goals from Diego Costa and Falcao himself in the opening half an hour all but killed the tie off as a contest and the Colombian said they knew the hosts, trailing 2-1 from the first-leg, would leave space into which they could counter-attack.

“We knew how to handle the game very well. We knew they would come out to try and look for the goal and that would generate spaces and chances for us which we knew we could take advantage of.”

Towards the end of the game, Sevilla’s Geoffrey Kondogbia joined teammate Gary Medel in being sent-off as he stamped on Costa.

It was an unseemly way for Sevilla to end the game in which they had offered plenty despite going behind to Costa’s well-placed effort after just six minutes.

Medel came close to equalising 14 minutes later before Falcao cooly slotted home the killer second on the break after more fine work by Costa down the left.

Sevilla continued to pour forward though and they did get some reward for their efforts just before the break when Jesus Navas gave Thibaut Courtois no chance with a perfectly judged effort that curled just inside the far post.

Both sides then had clear chances as the game became increasingly stretched in the second-half with Manu del Moral firing straight at Courtois before Costa somehow side-footed wide with just Beto to beat.

Falcao and Alvaro Negredo also headed off target when they should have scored, but any chance Sevilla had of a late fightback was lost when Medel was sent-off for as he received two yellow cards for first fouling Costa and then appearing to say something to the striker as he lay on the ground.

Ivan Rakitic did manage to reduce the arrears further with a low drive in injury time but Sevilla’s frustration was summed up when Kondogbia was shown a straight red card for stamping on Costa.