Honours even in Bilbao-Levante Copa semi first leg

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:09 am

Athletic Bilbao and Levante played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in their Copa del Rey semifinal first leg on Thursday.

- Copa del Rey on ESPN+: Stream LIVE matches (U.S. only)

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

An unmarked Gonzalo Melero fired the visitors ahead after 26 minutes, taking advantage of some poor marking from the Bilbao backline.

After the break the Basque side laid siege to the Levante goal, with goalkeeper Dani Cardenas making good saves from Alex Berenguer and Inaki Williams.

The pressure eventually told and Inigo Martinez nodded in a deserved equaliser on 58 minutes to ensure the tie was finely poised ahead of next month's second leg.

The victors will meet the winners of Barcelona and Sevilla FC, with the Andalusian side holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.