Teenager Lamine Yamal and loanee Marcus Rashford played key roles as holders Barcelona edged past Albacete to book a place in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Yamal opened the scoring in the 39th minute, netting his first goal of this season’s competition to give Barcelona control of the tie. The 18-year-old showed composure beyond his years, taking just one touch to curl the ball beyond goalkeeper Raul Lizoain after Barcelona won possession high up the pitch.
The visitors doubled their advantage 11 minutes after the restart when defender Ronald Araujo powered home a header from a Rashford corner. Although Javi Moreno pulled one back late on for the hosts, Barcelona held firm to end Albacete’s impressive run.
It was the first competitive meeting between the two sides since 2005, and Barcelona, led by head coach Hansi Flick, started on the front foot. In the eighth minute, Rashford fired wide after a clever pass from Dani Olmo, setting the tone for a dominant display in possession.
Despite controlling the ball, the La Liga leaders struggled to create clear chances until Yamal’s breakthrough. The move began with Rashford and Frenkie de Jong pressing high, forcing an error that allowed the teenager to strike for his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.
Early in the second half, Olmo nearly added a third after a dazzling solo run from Rashford, but his effort was cleared off the line by Dani Bernabeu. Rashford’s influence continued to grow, and his assist for Araujo’s goal made him only the third La Liga player this season to reach double figures for both goals and assists across all competitions. The England international is currently on loan from Manchester United.
Albacete threatened a dramatic finish when Moreno headed in Jose Carlos Lazo’s cross in the 87th minute. At the other end, Ferran Torres saw a late goal ruled out for offside in stoppage time.
The result ended Albacete’s fairytale journey, which had included a stunning last-gasp win over Real Madrid in the previous round, while Barcelona march on in their defence of the trophy.
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