Tag: Copa Del Rey

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BARCELONA CRASH OUT OF CUP AFTER EXTRA-TIME DEFEAT BY ATHLETIC BILBAO

Barcelona were dumped out of the Copa del Rey on Thursday as Ferran Torres’ first goal for the club failed to prevent a dramatic 3-2 defeat after extra-time by Athletic Bilbao. Disappointment for Barca was compounded by the sight of a visibly upset Ansu Fati going off injured in the second half of normal time at San Mames. Fati only returned earlier this month after two months out with a hamstring problem, having also come back in September following 10 months out with a knee injury.

Another spell on the sidelines for Fati would be a huge blow to Barca’s hopes of making La Liga’s top four. Pedri also asked to go off in extra-time.

Real Madrid needed an extra 30 minutes as well to defeat Elche 2-1, with Eden Hazard grabbing the winner after Marcelo’s red card forced La Liga’s leaders to come from behind with 10 men.

Isco scored the equaliser after Gonzalu Verdu put Elche in front.

“It may be that Hazard and Isco deserve to play more,” said Carlo Ancelotti. “I know I can count on them.”

Barca were hoping to join Real Madrid in the last eight but instead it is Athletic who advance, joining Madrid, Real Sociedad, Mallorca, Rayo Vallecano, Cadiz, Valencia and Real Betis in Friday’s draw for the last eight.

Madrid will be firm favourites, particularly after Sevilla crashed out at the hands of Real Betis, who are now perhaps the greatest threat to Ancelotti’s side winning their first Copa del Rey since 2014, during Ancelotti’s first tenure as coach.

Barca won the Copa del Rey last season and defending their title was probably their best chance of silverware this term.

They are out of sight in La Liga and were beaten by Madrid in last week’s Spanish Super Cup, with the Europa League now their only realistic remaining route to a trophy.

“They have beaten us on intensity,” said Xavi Hernandez. “We have to change the dynamic because when it’s heads or tails we always get tails. You have to work and be brave.”

Only 102 seconds had passed when Iker Muniain sent San Mames apoplectic by collecting Nico Williams’ cross at the back post, before turning and bending into the far corner.

But Barcelona were level in the 20th minute, and from a similar angle, as Torres shifted right, inside Oscar De Marcos, and whipped a stunning shot into the net.

Inaki Williams hit the bar with a long-range effort late on but the real drama was still to come. Athletic thought they had won it in the 86th minute when Inigo Martinez prodded in at the back post ahead of the sliding Gerard Pique.

Barcelona, though, found a way back in the 93rd, as Dani Alves bicycle-kicked Jordi Alba’s cross back into the area and Pedri’s hit on the stretch was too powerful for Julen Agirrezabala’s right hand.

Barca celebrated like it was the winner but there was extra-time to come and injuries. Fati went off and then Pedri asked to depart.

Then in the 103rd minute, a sliding Alba stopped Nico Williams’ cross with his right arm and after consulting the replay, Jose Munuera pointed to the spot. Ter Stegen dived right, Muniain shot left.

Hazard had earlier scored his first Real Madrid goal in eight months as Madrid staged a dramatic comeback with 10 men to beat Elche.

The Belgian has been fit but still on the fringes of Ancelotti’s team in recent months and even in this cup game, he started on the bench.

But the 31-year-old came on for extra-time and will hope his winner can now be the beginning of a resurgence in the second half of the season.

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REAL MADRID, BARCELONA INTO COPA DEL REY LAST-16

Barcelona's French forward Ousmane Dembele (2nd-R) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) football match between Linares Deportivo and FC Barcelona at the Linarejos stadium in Linares, on January 5, 2022. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)

Barcelona recovered from a goal down to defeat third-tier Linares 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

Bitter rivals Real Madrid also made it through with a 3-1 win at another third-division team, Alcoyano. With veteran Dani Alves returning to the club, Barca were a goal down inside 19 minutes thanks to a header from Hugo Diaz.

But the defending champions hit back in the second half to stay alive with Ousmane Dembele (63 minutes) and Ferran Jutgla (69) securing the victory.

Eder Militao and a brace from Marco Asensio gave Real victory against Alcoyano, the modest club who had knocked them out at the same stage last season

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Messi nets two as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao to win Copa del Rey

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 4-0 to win the Copa del Rey final.

If Lionel Messi isn’t happy at Barcelona, it was impossible to tell on Saturday when he scored two goals in another masterful performance to brush aside Athletic Bilbao and win the Copa del Rey.

Messi climbed into the tribune after leading the 4-0 win and lifted the trophy high above his head and turned to his team on the pitch below.

For his teammates, coach, and millions of anxious fans, it was easy to read so much into that broad grin, that vigorous shake of the huge cup.

Was Messi finally seeing the folly of ever thinking he could find a better home?

Or was the club’s all-time leading scorer relieved that he could give Barcelona at least one more title before saying goodbye?

Messi did not mention his future after he received the trophy from Spain’s King Felipe VI, one of the few dignitaries along with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in attendance at a stadium closed to fans due to coronavirus restrictions.

Instead, Messi focused on those who were not able to share in the celebration.

“This is a very special cup for me to lift,” Messi said. “It is too bad we cannot celebrate it with our family and fans. But that is the situation we have to accept.”

Even though Messi avoided the burning question of his plans, his great game will raise hopes for Barcelona fans of the soccer great staying at Camp Nou.

And for Joan Laporta, who returned to the club’s presidency last month, Messi should have an easy choice ahead of him.

“Leo is the best player in the world, Leo has deep roots in this club, and I am convinced that he wants to stay,” Laporta said. “We will do all we can for him to stay with us. That is what we most want. And today Messi gave a master class of soccer while being supported by a great team.”

Barcelona’s record 31st cup comes at a crucial junction for Messi and Barcelona. Barcelona has seen its finances badly damaged by the pandemic and its former president Josep Bartomeu was forced to resign after the team’s poor performance last season when it failed to win a title and alleged administrative irregularities. Bartomeu has denied any wrongdoing.

But the peak of the club’s crisis came last summer when Messi said that he wanted to put an end to his highly successful two decades with Barcelona. Since then, he has only said he will make a decision when his contract is up at the end of this season.

The cup, however, puts an end to a title drought since Barcelona won the 2019 Spanish league.

“It has been a difficult year, but like in life, sometimes you fall down and just have to get back up,” said Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who excelled in shutting down Bilbao’s counterattack.

“This is like starting anew, a reset . I think we have turned this around.”

Bilbao has now lost two Copa del Rey finals this month at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville. Bilbao lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad just two weeks ago when they met in the 2020 final that had been postponed due to the pandemic. Sociedad’s reign as Copa champion lasted all of 14 days.

“We were far from our best,” said Bilbao coach Marcelino Garcia Toral. “And even playing our your best it is tough to beat Barca.”

Only some tenacious defending in its area kept Bilbao in the match until Barcelona erupted with four goals between the 60th and 72nd minutes.

The bombardment started in the fifth when Messi set up Frenkie de Jong, who played a perfect aide to Messi throughout the match, to hit the post.

The second half continued with Messi dictating the pace, and now Unai Simon had to save Bilbao.

But the Spain goalkeeper could do nothing to deny Antoine Griezmann in the 60th minute. Griezmann’s sliced in a one-touch strike off De Jong’s cross from the right after Messi had again taken the ball and forced Bilbao to scramble back into its box.

With Bilbao reeling, Barcelona struck again in the 63rd _ this time from the left. Messi also played a subtle part in this goal, making a dummy run to open space for De Jong to push forward and head in Jordi Alba’s cross.

De Jong then helped Messi slalom through Bilbao from near the middle of the field into the heart of the area by exchanging two quick passing combinations with the star. Messi capped the move by dribbling past the last defender before slotting in his team’s third goal in the 68th.

Messi rounded off his stellar performance that earned him a 35th career title for Barcelona when he fired in a pass from Alba.

Messi had again showed, at age 33, that he can still completely dominate a final.

But hanging over the cup was what it truly meant to the inscrutable Argentine.

For coach Ronald Koeman, with his team also in the league title race, nothing has changed. It is up to Messi to decide, while Koeman crosses his fingers.

“Messi showed he is a born winner,” Koeman said after claiming his first title since the former defender returned to coach the club last summer.

“We hope this is not Messi’s last Copa. We want him to stay with us.”

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Sevilla beat Barcelona in Lionel Messi’s 900th game

Messi had a quiet performance in his milestone match against the team he punished the most in his career, and Barcelona lost 2-0 in Seville in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday.

This time, in his 900th match, Lionel Messi didn’t have an answer for Sevilla.

Messi had a quiet performance in his milestone match against the team he punished the most in his career, and Barcelona lost 2-0 in Seville in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday.

Messi has scored more goals against Sevilla than against any other team — 37 in 41 games — but the Argentine great squandered a couple of chances as Sevilla won its eighth consecutive match in all competitions. Jules Koundé scored in the first half and former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic added the second near the end.

The second leg will be on Feb. 27 at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona. Athletic Bilbao hosts Levante on Thursday in the first leg of the other semifinal.

“There is still hope,” Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said. “It will be complicated, but this team is capable of anything.”

Sevilla and Barcelona entered the semis as the hottest teams in Spain. The Catalan club was coming off six straight wins in all competitions.

“We are at halftime of a match of 180 minutes,” Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui said. “There will be a lot happening before we go to Barcelona, but we know how difficult it will be for us. The hardest part is still to come.”

The teams played in the Copa final in 2016 and 2018, with Barcelona coming out on top both times. The Catalan club is trying to make it to its ninth final in 11 years. It made it to the last four nine straight times before being eliminated by Athletic in the quarterfinals last season.

Barcelona controlled possession but it struggled to create many significant chances at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, with Sevilla goalkeeper Bono stopping the few efforts he faced. Sevilla constantly threatened on counterattacks, especially after opening the scoring in the first half.

Messi, making his 758th appearance with Barcelona to add to his 142 with Argentina, commanded the attack but failed to capitalize on his chances, including one with only Bono to beat in the 11th minute. He nearly scored with a stoppage-time free kick that again was stopped by Bono.

Messi had been rested in the Spanish league game against Real Betis on Sunday, when he came off the bench in the second half to lead the team to a come-from-behind victory.

Koundé put Sevilla ahead in the 25th with a nice run that culminated with him slipping the ball in between the legs of Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti before shooting into the net from inside the area.

Rakitic sealed the victory in an 85th-minute breakaway, beating goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen with a shot into the top of the net. The midfielder didn’t celebrate the goal against his former club.

Koeman was without three players because of injuries — Martin Braithwaite, Sergiño Dest and Miralem Pjanic. Lopetegui was without injured players Lucas Ocampos and Jesús Navas.

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COPA DEL REY: GRIEZMANN DOUBLE INSPIRES BARCA COME BACK VICTORY AGAINST GRANADA.

Antoine Griezmann led Barcelona back from the brink on Wednesday as the Catalans beat Granada 5-3 after extra-time to win a riveting cup tie and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

Barca looked set to crash out at Los Carmenes when Granada led 2-0 with two minutes of normal time remaining but Griezmann scored one goal in the 88th minute and then set up Jordi Alba for a dramatic equaliser in the 92nd. Griezmann headed his team in front in extra-time only for Granada’s Fede Vico to make it 3-3 with a penalty.

Yet Frenkie de Jong’s finish and a thumping volley from Alba, also set up by Griezmann, sent a relieved Barcelona through.

“It was a brilliant, beautiful cup tie,” said Griezmann.

Ronald Koeman admitted the Copa del Rey is his team’s “shortest route” to a trophy this season and with Atletico Madrid 10 points clear in La Liga and Paris Saint-Germain to come in the Champions League, it may prove their only route too.

Granada, though, came within a whisker of another huge upset as goals from Robert Kenedy and Roberto Soldado put them in sight of the last four.

Instead, Koeman’s side rallied, with Lionel Messi the architect and Griezmann delivering surely his best performance since he joined Barcelona from Atletico 18 months ago.

It is the kind of performance that could prove a starting point for Koeman’s team.

A match and a result like this will feed our spirit and our strength,” said Koeman. “These are moments that can be very important in a season.”

Griezmann now has six goals and seven assists in his last nine games.

Now I need consistency,” said Griezmann. “I’ve felt good since January and I want to keep it going until the end of the season. I feel like I have the confidence of my coach and my teammates.”

Barca’s reward is a place in the semis and they will be heavy favourites after early exits for Atletico and Real Madrid.

They join Sevilla, who beat Almeria on Tuesday, and Levante, who also came through after extra-time for a surprise 1-0 win against Villarreal.

Real Betis or Athletic Bilbao play on Thursday for the last spot.

Samuel Umtiti was at fault for Granada’s opening two goals, first robbed by Alberto Soro, who fired a quick pass across for Kenedy to score, and then outrun by Soldado, who finished into the corner.

Sergi Roberto went off with what looked like a hamstring strain and Barca searched for a way back.

Francisco Trincao and Messi both hit the woodwork while Griezmann drew a smart save from goalkeeper Aaron Escandell with a bicycle kick.

Finally the pressure told in the 88th minute, Griezmann sliding onto Messi’s curled pass to the back post and catching it on the bounce, the ball cannoning off the goalkeeper and in.

Granada had four minutes of added time to survive and they held out for only two, a carbon-copy pass from Messi finding Griezmann in the same spot, this time the striker heading across for Alba to nod in.

Luis Suarez could still have won it for Granada in normal time but drove wide when sent clear and it looked like Barca had it wrapped up when Griezmann scored again in extra-time, heading in Alba’s cross from the left.

Granada struck back almost immediately, though, Sergino Dest knocking over Carlos Neva in the box and Fede Vico converting the penalty, only for Barcelona to find a fourth. Messi’s shot was parried out for De Jong to poach the rebound.

Granada were on the ropes and a fifth proved the knock-out blow. Griezmann swept a superb pass out to Alba, who nonchalantly volleyed in for perhaps the best goal of a thrilling night.

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ATLETICO MADRID DUMPED OUT OF COPA DEL REY BY THIRD DIVISION SIDE.

La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid were knocked out of the Copa del Rey after a shock 1-0 defeat away to third division side Cornella on Wednesday.

Adrian Jimenez met a free kick on the volley to score the only goal of the game in the seventh minute, while Atletico had right back Ricard Sanchez sent off midway through the second half after earning two bookings in the space of 12 minutes.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone rested some players for the second-round tie, played on an artificial pitch, but still fielded a strong side containing record signing Joao Felix plus fellow first-team regulars Renan Lodi, Jose Gimenez, Saul Niguez, Felipe and Angel Correa.

But he was forced to take Gimenez off in the 11th minute when the Uruguayan defender picked up an ankle injury, whilst Felix also hurt his ankle and was removed late in the second half.

Atletico, who have lifted the trophy 10 times, most recently in 2013, were also knocked out of last year’s competition by a third division side, going down 2-1 away to Cultural Leonesa after extra time.

They played their game and they were better than us. We have to say sorry to our fans, we never want to go out of any competition but in the last couple of years these one off games are not going well for us,” said Saul.

Atletico coach Simeone added: “We always want to win but today our opponents deserved to go through, just like last year. They competed well, they played the game they wanted to, they won the second balls, they kept up their intensity and we have to congratulate them as they overpowered us.”

Simeone also said cryptically that his side would try to make amends for their poor Cup performances “if we are still here next year”.

“Things change all the time in football, and you have to be open to all possibilities. I’m very happy here but you have to be open to whatever the club decides,” Simeone, who has a contract until 2022, added.