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Late Goals Save Barcelona in Copa del Rey Thriller
17 Dec
Summary
- Barcelona secured a 2-0 Copa del Rey win with late goals.
- Kick-off was delayed due to stadium grandstand issues.
- Marc-André ter Stegen returned after 212 days out.
Barcelona ultimately defeated third-division club Guadalajara 2-0 in the Copa del Rey round of 32, thanks to decisive late goals from Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford. The match's start was postponed by half an hour as authorities initially restricted access to the newly constructed temporary grandstand at the Pedro Escartín stadium, leading to fan congestion outside.
Despite dominating play, Barcelona found it challenging to create clear scoring opportunities against a resilient Guadalajara side. Christensen finally broke the deadlock in the 76th minute with a header following a cross, which deflected in. Although the hosts had chances to equalize, Rashford secured Barcelona's progression on a breakaway in the 90th minute.
Coach Hansi Flick opted to rest several key players ahead of an upcoming league match. Notable player milestones included goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen's return after 212 days following back surgery and defender Pau Cubarsí's 100th appearance for the club at just 18 years old.
