Barcelona overcome Barbastro's challenge in Copa del Rey thriller

Barcelona faced a spirited challenge from Barbastro but managed to secure a 3-2 victory, advancing to the Copa del Rey last 16.

Barcelona faced a formidable challenge from fourth-tier Barbastro in the Copa del Rey but secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory to advance to the last 16 on Sunday. The 31-time winners initially took a two-goal lead through Fermin Lopez and Raphinha, only for Barbastro's Adria de Mesa to narrow the gap. Substitute Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty for Barcelona, but Marc Prat's late penalty for the hosts kept the match tense. Despite the scare, Barcelona coach Xavi expressed satisfaction with the positive result and acknowledged the challenging nature of such encounters.

Barcelona claimed an early lead as Frenkie de Jong set up Raphinha, and Lopez efficiently finished the Brazilian's cut-back. Joao Felix appeared to score the second, but the goal was disallowed without VAR intervention, leading to Xavi's frustration about the absence of video reviews in the Copa del Rey until the last 16. Raphinha extended Barcelona's lead early in the second half, while Barbastro's De Mesa brought them back into contention. Despite missed opportunities from both sides, Lewandowski's penalty secured Barcelona's lead, and Barbastro's late penalty proved insufficient for a comeback.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid join the next round, following the progress of the capital clubs on Saturday. However, Villarreal's tie against Unionistas de Salamanca faced abandonment due to floodlight failure, with the game set to resume on Monday. In other results, Las Palmas exited with a 2-0 loss to Tenerife, while Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna, Mallorca, Real Sociedad, Valencia, and Celta Vigo advanced with victories over their opponents.