Defending champions Barcelona navigated a tense evening against second-division leader Racing Santander to secure a 2-0 victory and book their place in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals on Thursday, just 24 hours after rivals Real Madrid suffered a stunning elimination.
Manager Hansi Flick rotated his squad, resting key figures like Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Pedri. The changes showed in a disjointed first half where Barcelona, despite controlling possession, lacked their usual cutting edge. Their best early chance fell to Dani Olmo, who failed to connect with a tantalizing Marcus Rashford cross.
Rashford, making a rare start, was Barcelona’s most dangerous player. He forced a good save from Racing goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta on the stroke of halftime and was denied again by a sharp stop early in the second period as Barcelona upped the pressure.
The breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute, and it was a moment of simple efficiency. A quick counter-attack saw Fermín López play a perfectly weighted through ball for Ferran Torres, who rounded the goalkeeper and slotted into the empty net to break the deadlock and ease growing tension.
The goal didn’t kill Racing’s spirit. The hosts had two goals correctly ruled out for offside in the final 15 minutes and then squandered a golden opportunity to equalize deep into stoppage time. Substitute Manex Lozano found himself one-on-one with Joan García, but the Barcelona goalkeeper stood tall to make a crucial save.
That miss proved pivotal. With Racing committed forward, Barcelona sealed the win on the counter in the sixth minute of added time. The electric Lamine Yamal received the ball on the right, drove into the box, and finished with composure to ensure there would be no Copa del Rey upset for the champions.
“Gladly we have Joan in goal,” said match-winner Ferran Torres. “These teams are well prepared and have players with a lot of quality, that’s why it has been so tough [for the first-division teams].”
The victory extends Barcelona’s winning streak to 11 matches across all competitions and allows them to avoid the fate of Real Madrid, who fell 3-2 to Albacete a day earlier. It was a professional, if not entirely convincing, performance that keeps their quest for back-to-back Copa del Rey titles alive and well.
