Barcelona secured a hard-earned 2-0 victory over second-tier side Racing Santander to book their place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, a day after Real Madrid suffered a shock exit against Albacete. Despite controlling possession for much of the match, the reigning champions had to battle intensely to break down Racing’s resolute defence. Goals from Lamine Yamal and captain Ferran Torres ultimately secured the win, but the Catalans were forced to sweat every minute under a stubborn home side.
The first half saw Barcelona dominate possession, yet the breakthrough eluded them. Racing’s disciplined backline thwarted multiple attempts, leaving manager Hansi Flick’s side searching for openings. Early in the second half, at the 48th minute, Marcus Rashford came close to scoring, only to be denied by Racing’s goalkeeper, Jokin Ezkieta, even when presented with an open goal. Yamal’s ensuing attempt was also superbly saved, highlighting the visitors’ initial frustrations.
Racing’s defence continued to repel Barcelona’s attacks, successfully stopping chances in the 63rd and 64th minutes. However, the deadlock was finally broken in the 66th minute when Ferran Torres converted a precise pass from substitute Fermin Lopez, beating Ezkieta to give Barcelona the lead.
Racing nearly responded in the 76th minute, but their effort was ruled out for offside. Two minutes later, another Barcelona attack was expertly blocked by Ezkieta, keeping the home side in the game. Racing again saw a goal disallowed for offside in the 85th minute, and even in added time, Barcelona’s goalkeeper Eric Garcia denied Manex Rozano’s close-range effort.
The match was sealed in the dying moments when Yamal converted a cross from Raphinha, cementing the 2-0 victory. The win propels Barcelona confidently into the quarter-finals, maintaining their status as defending champions.
Copa del Rey: Racing Santander vs Barcelona – Match Highlights
| Minute | Event | Player | Team | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48′ | Missed chance | Marcus Rashford | Barcelona | Shot saved by goalkeeper |
| 63′ | Attack blocked | – | Barcelona | Defence interception |
| 64′ | Attack blocked | – | Barcelona | Defence interception |
| 66′ | Goal | Ferran Torres | Barcelona | Assisted by Fermin Lopez |
| 76′ | Disallowed goal | – | Racing Santander | Offside |
| 78′ | Shot saved | – | Barcelona | Goalkeeper intervention |
| 85′ | Disallowed goal | – | Racing Santander | Offside |
| 90+ | Missed chance | Manex Rozano | Racing Santander | Shot saved by Eric Garcia |
| 90+ | Goal | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Assisted by Raphinha |
Barcelona now await their quarter-final opponents with confidence, having shown resilience and determination to overcome a lower-division side that never gave up.
