Barcelona narrowly defeats Deportivo Guadalajara in the King's Cup

Barcelona traveled to the city of Guadalajara, Spain, for the Copa del Rey Round of 32. The Catalans faced Deportivo Guadalajara, a club that had reached this stage of the competition for the first time in its history and was also playing its first official game against a La Liga side.

The match was meant to be a historic occasion for Guadalajara, but it started 30 minutes late due to an issue with certification for temporary stands, causing fans to gather at the entrance. Nevertheless, the game proceeded without being rescheduled.

Head coach Hansi Flick had numerous options for the lineup. Considering the opponent played in the third tier of Spanish football, Barcelona could have fielded a full reserve squad.

Instead, Flick opted for a mixed lineup: Lamine Yamal, Xofre Torrents, Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen, Marcus Rashford, and Runi Bardi were on the pitch, while Pedri and Raphinha started on the bench.

This match also marked the season debut for goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. In the 5th minute, he saved his team with a stop against a surprise long-range strike from Manu Ramirez.

Shortly afterward, Eric García attempted a long-range shot, but Guadalajara’s goalkeeper Dani Vicente confidently denied it. During the first half, Barcelona dominated possession but lacked precision in the final phase of their attacks.

Fermin Lopez had several opportunities, but his shots failed to find the target. Even de Jong’s passes often led to attacks that ended ineffectively.

The home side, however, demonstrated a threat on counterattacks. Kanyiso broke free near the penalty area and attempted a shot against Eric García’s defense, but the ball veered off target. With close-range opportunities scarce, Barcelona resorted to long-range efforts.

Christensen tested the goalkeeper from open play, while Rashford’s free kick was also saved by Vicente. Yamal created dangerous set-piece opportunities, and one of them provided Bardi with a sharp shot, though it narrowly missed the goal.

During halftime, Flick substituted Bernal, already on a yellow card, with Pau Cubarsi. This match marked Cubarsi’s 100th appearance for Barcelona.

Early in the second half, Bardi’s precise pass set Rashford up for a one-on-one chance, but the striker’s shot hit Vicente’s foot. Rashford troubled the goalkeeper again later, this time following an Eric García pass.

Overall, such chances proved critical in this hard-fought match. Guadalajara’s defense held firm, blocking many of Barcelona’s attempts, while the hosts also posed a sporadic counterattack threat.

Tono Calvo found space near the edge of the penalty area for a shot, which narrowly missed. In another moment, Christensen intercepted a dangerous pass from Deportivo’s attack, and in the 76th minute, he played a decisive role in the offense: meeting de Jong’s cross with a header, the ball deflected off Julio Martinez and into the net — 0-1.

Even so, Guadalajara remained a threat. On a counterattack, Karopiche fired a strong shot from the right flank, but Ter Stegen had it under control.

In another instance, Ter Stegen safely recovered an awkward deflection off Koundé’s body. Throughout the game, de Jong served as Barcelona’s creative focal point.

With the score holding at 0-1, it appeared the match was nearing its conclusion, but in the 90th minute, Rashford secured the victory. After receiving a low diagonal pass from Yamal, he evaded Vicente and neatly placed the ball into the right corner — 0-2.

This challenging victory on a tough field earned Barcelona a spot in the Copa del Rey Round of 16. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!