Barcelona edge brave Barbastro to reach Copa del Rey last 16
Barcelona
reached the last 16 of the Copa del Rey but were given a scare by fourth-tier
Barbastro in an entertaining 3-2 win on Sunday.
The record
31-time winners took a two-goal lead through Fermin Lopez and Raphinha, before
Adria de Mesa pulled one back for the hard-working hosts.
Substitute
Robert Lewandowski netted from the spot for the Spanish champions but Marc Prat
smashed in a late penalty for the hosts, who refused to give up.
"We're
letting in a lot of goals, it's something that we have to improve on,"
Lopez told Movistar.
"In the
first half we were good but then we let in two goals."
Barcelona
took the lead early on when Frenkie de Jong chipped a ball over the top for
Raphinha and Lopez arrived in the box at the perfect moment to tuck away the
Brazilian's low cut-back.
Joao Felix
headed in the second from a Lopez cross but was left fuming when it was
disallowed for offside.
Replays
indicated the forward was not in an illegal position, but video reviews are not
used in the Copa del Rey until the last 16.
Barbastro
goalkeeper Arnau Fabrega saved free-kicks from Felix and Raphinha as the
visitors dominated as expected at the 5,000 seater stadium.
Raphinha
doubled Barcelona's lead from close range early in the second half after young
defender Hector Fort whipped in a deep, swirling cross to him at the back post.
Former Barca
youth player De Mesa pulled Barbastro back into the game just before the hour
mark, prodding home from close range during a scramble in the box from a
corner.
Xavi reacted
by sending on 18-year-old Brazil striker Vitor Roque, recently arrived from
Athletico Paranaense, as well as defender Inigo Martinez.
The Basque
central defender only lasted a few minutes before limping off again, having
only just recovered from a hamstring problem.
Remarkably
the hosts could have levelled but Jaime Ara headed badly off target when well
placed to score.
Ferran
Torres was just as guilty at the other end, unable to capitalise when sent
through, but Barbastro handed Lewandowski the chance to restore his team's lead
from the spot.
Javi Lopez
handled the Polish forward's header and he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way,
gently rolling the ball into the other corner.
Barbastro
pulled another goal back in stoppage time when Marc Prat smashed home a penalty
following a foul by Lopez, but could not find another to force extra-time.
Barcelona
join Real Madrid and Atletico in the next round, after the capital clubs
progressed on Saturday.
Villarreal's
tie at Unionistas de Salamanca on Sunday was abandoned at the start of
extra-time because of lighting issues which left the stadium in the dark.
The
third-tier side had pegged their La Liga visitors back in the final stages to
level the score at 1-1 after 90 minutes in the round of 32 clash, in front of
nearly 6,000 fans.
The Spanish
football federation said in a statement the match was postponed "because
of a problem that occurred regarding the lighting of the Reina Sofia
stadium".
Sevilla
needed a late Juanlu Sanchez strike to see off second division Racing Ferrol
2-1 and reach the last 16, along with Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna, Mallorca, Real
Sociedad and Celta Vigo, who also beat lower league opponents.
Valencia
triumphed in extra-time against second division side Cartagena, who played the
second half with 10 men after Ivan Calero was dismissed before the break.
Jose Gaya
grabbed the winner in the 106th minute to send Ruben Baraja's team through.
The last 16
draw takes place Monday.
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