Albacete 1-2 Barcelona: Hansi Flick’s side go a step closer to their second trophy of the season
Albacete did it against Real Madrid, and while it was always going to be a mountain to climb, no reason they could not have done it against Barcelona too.
The Spanish second division side knocked out Madrid in the Copa del Rey last round, and here at the same ground, the Carlos Belmonte Stadium, they attempted a late revolt against the La Liga champions.
Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo had given Barcelona a two-goal lead earlier in the game but Javi Moreno halved the deficit with three minutes to go in normal time, Albacete then pushing for a late equaliser to force extra time. It came to nothing.
With the win Hansi Flick’s side now head into the semifinals of the competition, well on their way to grabbing a second trophy of the season and their fifth in less than two years under the German.
Both teams showed attacking intent in the early stages, Antonio Puertas tested Joan Garcia twice. Yamal’s cross into Gerard Martin did not yield fruit after the defender’s shot sailed over the bar.
Then Barcelona took the lead in the 39th minute when Yamal met Frenkie de Jong’s pass and fired beyond Raul Lizoain. The visitors continued to dominate after the break. Dani Olmo saw his effort cleared off the line before Araujo doubled the lead when he headed in from Marcus Rashford’s corner.
From then on it seemed the game was over. Lizoain saved from Robert Lewandowski before Ferran Torres’s effort sailed over the bar as Barcelona kept control of proceedings. But then Jose Carlos Lazo’s cross was met by Moreno, who headed in to give his side a late lifeline.
But Barcelona held on and it was Torres who had the ball in the net in stoppage time, but it was ruled out for offside.
