Barcelona became the first team to secure a spot in the 2025/26 Copa del Rey semi-finals after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over giant-killers Albacete at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte.
Despite Albacete’s reputation for drama having eliminated Real Madrid in the previous round Hansi Flick’s side managed to avoid an upset. Goals from Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araújo put the Catalans in control, but a late surge from the hosts left the La Liga leaders clinging to their lead in the final minutes.
Clinical Barça Take Control
The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Frenkie de Jong carved open the Albacete defense with a signature through-ball, finding Lamine Yamal. The teenage sensation finished clinicaly to silence the home crowd.
Barcelona doubled their lead shortly after the break. While Marcus Rashford struggled to find the net earlier in the half, defender Ronald Araújo showed striker-like instincts to head home from a corner in the 56th minute, seemingly putting the tie to bed.
Gerard Martín’s Goal-Line Heroics
The final 15 minutes were far from comfortable for Flick. As fatigue set in, Albacete found a lifeline through Javier Moreno, who capitalized on a defensive lapse to make it 2-1.
With the momentum shifting, the home side almost forced extra time when a delicate chip beat goalkeeper Iñaki Peña. However, left-back Gerard Martín produced a sensational goal-line clearance in stoppage time to deny Albacete another historic scalp and confirm Barcelona’s place in the final four.
Copa del Rey Quarter-Final Schedule:
- RESULT: Albacete 1-2 Barcelona
- Feb 4: Alavés vs Real Sociedad
- Feb 4: Valencia vs Athletic Bilbao
- Feb 5: Real Betis vs Atlético de Madrid
Gabriel Lucio is a football analyst covering La Liga, focusing on match analysis, tactical trends, and the race for domestic and European positions.
