Barcelona Advances to Semifinals of Copa del Rey
In a hard-fought match that saw both teams show determination, Barcelona successfully advanced to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey by securing a 2-1 victory over Albacete on Tuesday. This triumph marks yet another milestone for Barcelona, who have now won 16 out of their last 17 competitive matches, with only a single defeat occurring against Real Sociedad in the league last month.
Match Highlights
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring for the Catalans just before halftime, netting his fifth goal in the past six games with a precise left-footed shot from within the box, assisted by Frenkie de Jong. The lead was doubled in the second half when Ronald Araujo connected with a header from a Marcus Rashford corner kick, celebrating his return to goal-scoring after a break last year due to mental health reasons.
Despite a valiant effort, which included a disallowed goal for offside in the 84th minute, Albacete managed to find the net three minutes later through Javi Moreno. The team had previously stunned football fans by eliminating Real Madrid in the round of 16, giving coach Álvaro Arbeloa a notable debut. Albacete, currently positioned 12th in Spain’s second division, had also ousted first-division Celta Vigo in an earlier round, and Moreno expressed immense pride in their incredible journey.
“We are very proud,” Moreno remarked. “Who would have imagined we could knock out Celta, Real Madrid, and put up a good fight against Barcelona?”
Coaching Decisions and Match Conclusion
Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, opted to leave out notable players like Raphinha, Gavi, and Pedri for this match, which ensured a number of younger talents had an opportunity on the field.
As the match progressed towards its conclusion, Albacete came close to equalizing but were thwarted by a crucial goal-line clearance from Gerard Martín. Barcelona’s late attempt to extend their lead was also ruled out for offside.
Looking Ahead
The semifinal stage of the Copa del Rey will feature two-legged matches following the quarterfinals, with the final set to take place in April in Sevilla. Barcelona, who won the tournament last year, continues to lead La Liga, just one point ahead of their arch-rivals, Real Madrid. Two more quarterfinal matches are still to come this week, with Valencia facing Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad visiting Alaves on Wednesday, followed by Real Betis hosting Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
