FC Barcelona quelled the surprise run of Albacete Balompié, which had beaten Real Madrid, and advanced to the Copa del Rey semifinals.
FC Barcelona beat Albacete 2-1 on the 4th (Korean time) in the 2025-2026 Copa del Rey quarterfinal at Estadio Carlos Belmonte in Albacete, Spain. Tension persisted until the end of the match, but Barcelona ultimately prevailed.
The first half was frustrating. Barcelona held possession but struggled to find a way through Albacete's compact defense. What broke the deadlock was individual skill. In the 39th minute of the first half, after receiving a pass from Frenkie de Jong, Lamine Yamal curled a shot with his left foot from the right into the corner of the net. It was a single strike that came from one of the few decisive moments in the first half.
In the second half, Barcelona took firmer control. In the 11th minute of the second half, Ronald Araújo connected Marcus Rashford's corner with a powerful header to extend the lead. The goal seemed to allow Barcelona to finish the match relatively comfortably.
Albacete did not give up easily. In the 27th minute of the second half, Betancur's goal was disallowed for offside, missing a chance, but in the 42nd minute of the second half, Javi Moreno headed in Lasso's free kick to ignite the chase. The home fans' atmosphere heated up instantly.
There were variables until the final whistle. In the 45th minute of the second half, Ferran Torres's additional goal was overturned for offside after video review (VAR), and in stoppage time, Gámez attempted a chip over the goalkeeper, but Martín cleared it with his head on the goal line to rescue Barcelona.
In the end, the match finished as a 2-1 victory for Barcelona. The numbers also made the trend clear. Barcelona's expected goals (xG) were 2.27, while Albacete's were only 0.67. The figures favored Barcelona, but the match was by no means one-sided in content.
Albacete's run in this tournament ended here. After Real Madrid, it was a tall order to get past Barcelona as well. Barcelona will wait for their semifinal opponent in the draw scheduled for the 6th. It was a difficult night, but the result ultimately leaned toward the traditional powerhouse.
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