Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo were on the scoresheet as Barcelona secured a tense 2-1 victory over Albacete on Tuesday to book their place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
The record 32-time winners of the competition were stretched to the limit by their second-tier opponents in a closely fought quarter-final encounter, with Albacete hoping to repeat the shock they delivered by eliminating Real Madrid in the previous round.
Barcelona took the lead shortly before the interval through teenage sensation Yamal, before Araujo doubled the advantage early in the second half with a headed effort on his first start since returning from a month-long mental health break late last year.
Despite trailing, Albacete remained dangerous and produced several opportunities in the final half hour. Substitute Javi Moreno headed home with three minutes remaining to set up a nervy finish for the holders.
Hansi Flick’s side dominated possession in the opening period but found it difficult to penetrate Albacete’s disciplined defensive shape. Marcus Rashford missed two promising chances in the opening minutes, after which the hosts retreated deeper to frustrate Barcelona’s attacking rhythm.
As has often been the case this season, Barcelona’s most threatening outlet was Yamal. The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 39th minute following sustained pressure. Rashford pressed aggressively to regain possession, Frenkie de Jong’s pass ricocheted into Yamal’s path, and the 18-year-old calmly curled the ball into the net.
Albacete threatened at the other end when Antonio Puertas slipped behind Barcelona’s backline, but a heavy touch allowed goalkeeper Joan Garcia to gather the loose ball. Moments later, Garcia provided a light-hearted moment before half-time when he inadvertently conceded a corner while walking off the pitch holding the ball as he patted Araujo on the head.
Barcelona nearly extended their lead soon after the restart. Rashford delivered a perfectly weighted pass for Dani Olmo, but the midfielder’s effort was blocked at close range. Albacete continued to show flashes of threat, with Puertas firing a volley that deflected off De Jong and narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Jefte Betancor, the hero of Albacete’s previous win over Real Madrid, cut inside Araujo and sent a shot just wide as the hosts grew in confidence. Puertas later found the net with seven minutes remaining, but the goal was ruled out due to an offside earlier in the build-up.
The hosts were finally rewarded in the 87th minute when Moreno powered a header past Garcia from Jose Lazo’s free-kick, setting up a frantic finale. However, Albacete were unable to find a second goal to force extra time.
Barcelona survived a tense five minutes of stoppage time, helped by Gerard Martin’s goal-line clearance from Fran Gamez’s effort, to seal progression.
Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, Valencia host Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad travel to face Alaves on Wednesday, while Atletico Madrid are set to visit Real Betis on Thursday.
What you should know
Barcelona’s narrow win underlined both their quality and vulnerability in knockout football.
While Yamal once again proved decisive and Araujo marked his return with a goal, the performance exposed defensive lapses that nearly proved costly.
Albacete’s spirited display reinforced their reputation as giant-killers, but Barcelona’s experience ultimately carried them through to another Copa del Rey semi-final.
