Albacete’s spectacular Copa del Rey run got here to an finish on Wednesday evening as Barcelona secured a 2-1 win on the Estadio Carlos Belmonte to e book their place within the semi-finals.
The hosts, who had already eradicated each Real Madrid and a number of other top-flight sides earlier within the competitors, approached the quarter-final with their ordinary self-discipline and persistence, whereas Barcelona dominated possession with out discovering a lot house within the opening phases.
Albacete sat deep in a compact form, limiting central entry and forcing Barcelona to flow into the ball in large areas. Regardless of controlling greater than 70 p.c of possession within the first half, the guests struggled to transform that management into clear probabilities.
Barcelona’s first significant openings got here by Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal, although each discovered alternatives restricted by Albacete’s defensive organisation.
Rashford dragged a transparent likelihood large after being slipped in by Dani Olmo, whereas Robert Lewandowski remained largely uninvolved, registering only a few touches earlier than the break.
Albacete, in the meantime, threatened sporadically on the counter, with Puertas testing Joan Garcia and forcing Ronald Araujo right into a key restoration run.
The impasse was damaged within the thirty ninth minute by a second of high quality from Yamal. Barcelona gained possession excessive up the pitch, and Frenkie de Jong’s go discovered the winger on the precise fringe of the field. Yamal took the shot first time, bending a left-footed effort into the far nook past Raul Lizoain.
Albacete confirmed extra intent after the interval, committing extra numbers ahead and rising the tempo of their press.
Their greatest spell early within the second half included a blocked effort from Puertas and a sequence of lengthy throws that unsettled Barcelona’s again line, although clear probabilities remained restricted.
Barcelona restored management within the 56th minute with a second objective that appeared to settle the tie. Rashford delivered a nook from the left, and Araujo rose unchallenged to energy a header previous Lizoain from shut vary.
With a two-goal cushion, Barcelona targeted on recreation administration, slowing the tempo and protecting possession.
They got here near extending the lead on a number of events, with Ferran Torres denied by Lizoain and Vallejo producing a vital block to disclaim one other effort. Torres thought he had added a 3rd within the ninetieth minute, reacting quickest to a low cross, however VAR dominated the objective out for offside.
That call stored Albacete within the contest, they usually took full benefit two minutes earlier once they pulled a objective again.
Jose Carlos Lazo delivered a exact free-kick into the field, and centre-back Javi Moreno met it with a agency header into the nook to make it 2-1. The objective lifted the house crowd and injected urgency into the ultimate minutes.
Albacete practically produced a rare equaliser in stoppage time. Fran Gamez managed the ball on the again put up and lifted an effort over Joan Garcia, however Martin tracked again and diverted the ball large with a headed clearance off the road. It proved to be the ultimate main second of the match.
