Barcelona were made to sweat far longer than expected before finally seeing off third tier Guadalajara with a 2-0 win to book their place in the Copa del Rey round of 16 on Tuesday night.
Hansi Flick’s side dominated possession from the outset at the Estadio Pedro Escartin, but control of the ball did not translate into early goals. Guadalajara, blacked by a noisy home crowd, defended with discipline and courage, frustrating the reigning champions for much of the contest and threatening sporadically on the counter.
Flick rotated heavily after the weekend’s league win over Osasuna, making eight changes to his starting XI. Marcus Rashford, Lamine Yamal and Eric Garcia were the only players retained, while Marc Andre ter Steven returned to competitive action for the first time this season following a lengthy injury layoff.
The first half was surprisingly even. Guadalajara nearly shocked their illustrious opponents when Alejandro Canzio’s header flew just wide, while Barcelona’s best openings came through Garcia, whose long range effort forced goalkeeper Dani Vicente into a fine save. Despite enjoying close to 80 percent possession, Barca went break locked at 0-0.
Rashford had a golden chance early in the second half after latching onto a perfectly weighted ball, but Vicente once again denied him at close range. As the minutes ticked by Barcelona’s frustration grew, particularly for Yamal, who was repeatedly crowned out by multiple defenders whenever he received the ball.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 76th minute. Frenkie de Jong delivered a teasing cross from the right, and Andreas Christensen rose highest at the far post, his header taking a decisive deflection off a Guadalajara defender before beating Vicente.
The hosts briefly sensed an opportunity to respond, forcing Ter Stegen into an excellent save from a long range strike, but Barcelona sealed the tie late on. In the 90th minute, Rashford found the composure that had earlier eluded him, calmly wrong footing the goalkeeper before finishing into an empty net to end his goal drought and put the result beyond doubt.
While Christensen and Rashford took the headlines, Vicente emerged as Guadalajara’s standout performer, producing a series of impressive stops that kept the tie alive deep into the match. Barcelona, meanwhile, will be relieved to have avoided a classic Copa del Rey upset, knowing sterner tests lie ahead as they continue their title defense.
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