Barcelona player ratings vs Racing: Lamine Yamal finishes the job! Wonderkid seals Copa del Rey win after super-sub Fermin Lopez tees up Ferran Torres
Barcelona avoided a Copa del Rey upset thanks to second-half goals from Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal in a 2-0 win. A day after bitter rivals Real Madrid were dumped out of the competition by second division side Albacete, Hansi Flick's men overcame a stern examination against similar opposition on Thursday. The cup holders were indebted to substitute Fermin Lopez as they reached the quarter-finals in battling fashion.After the game was delayed by 15 minutes due to 'security reasons', the leaders of La Liga 2 went toe to toe with the Spanish top-flight's No. 1 team. Joan Garcia had to be alert to tip Aldasoro's cross over the bar, before Arana headed over the top when in a good position. At the other end, Rashford was denied by goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta, but despite their dominance with possession, Barcelona didn't fashion any clear-cut chances in the first half. The visitors started the second half with more vigour, with Lamine Yamal flashing a shot just past the post, and then Ezkieta did well to push a fierce Rashford strike just wide. And in the 66th minute, their brave resistance came to an end when Torres rounded the keeper and slotted home following a neat through ball from Lopez. The home fans thought they had levelled 10 minutes later when Manex Lozano fired past Garcia, but the substitute was offside in the build-up.Ezkieta made a superb double save from Lopez and Robert Lewandowski to keep Racing in the contest, before Lozano once again had a goal ruled out for offside. Despite a late surge, which involved Garcia making a crucial save just before full time, Barca went up the other end, and Yamal scored a tap-in to help Barca go a round further than a Xabi Alonso-less Madrid.GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Campos de Sport de El Sardinero...Joan Garcia (8/10):Commanded his area fairly well early on and made a couple of smart stops along the way. Made a vital stop at the death to preserve their lead.Jules Kounde (7/10):Was on sweeper duty at the back and did it well in the first half. Most of his good work was in a defensive capacity.Pau Cubarsi (7/10):Had to deal with a pacy, counter-attacking attack and stood up well to it in the first 45, and that continued in the second.Gerard Martin (7/10):Held his own in the heart of Barca's defence and did a decent job when coming up against the tricky Suleiman Camara.Alejandro Balde (6/10):Was put on the back foot on a couple of occasions but largely held up pretty well to what came his way.Marc Casado (6/10):Broke up play on repeated occasions and worked his socks off for Flick's side.Dani Olmo (5/10):While he has undoubted quality, he disappears in games a bit too often. Was hooked after the hour mark.Marc Bernal (6/10):Had a couple of decent openings but didn't offer much creativity for his forward line.Lamine Yamal (7/10):Cut a frustrated figure at first as not much was sticking for him but he turned on the style a bit more in the second period. Grabbed a late goal to put more gloss on the scoreline.Ferran Torres (7/10):Was fairly anonymous in the opening 45 but took his goal well just when Barca's nerves may have been fraying. Marcus Rashford (6/10):Consistently whips in dangerous crosses and fashions chances for himself but was lacking a bit of spark.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingFermin Lopez (7/10):The young playmaker has repeatedly shown he can be a great impact player off the bench, and his vision paved the way to Barca's opener.Pedri (6/10):Was solid off the bench.Raphinha (7/10):Wasn't quite at the races but still popped up with a late assist.Robert Lewandowski (6/10):The Pole nearly scored shortly after coming on but was denied by an inspired keeper.Eric Garcia (N/A):Too little time to make an impact.Hansi Flick (7/10):His team were quite off colour in the first half and didn't really fashion any big chances but they were much improved in the second half as the hosts dropped off. The introduction of Lopez did the trick, too.
Barcelona avoided a Copa del Rey upset thanks to second-half goals from Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal in a 2-0 win. A day after bitter rivals Real Madrid were dumped out of the competition by second division side Albacete, Hansi Flick's men overcame a stern examination against similar opposition on Thursday. The cup holders were indebted to substitute Fermin Lopez as they reached the quarter-finals in battling fashion.After the game was delayed by 15 minutes due to 'security reasons', the leaders of La Liga 2 went toe to toe with the Spanish top-flight's No. 1 team. Joan Garcia had to be alert to tip Aldasoro's cross over the bar, before Arana headed over the top when in a good position. At the other end, Rashford was denied by goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta, but despite their dominance with possession, Barcelona didn't fashion any clear-cut chances in the first half. The visitors started the second half with more vigour, with Lamine Yamal flashing a shot just past the post, and then Ezkieta did well to push a fierce Rashford strike just wide. And in the 66th minute, their brave resistance came to an end when Torres rounded the keeper and slotted home following a neat through ball from Lopez. The home fans thought they had levelled 10 minutes later when Manex Lozano fired past Garcia, but the substitute was offside in the build-up.Ezkieta made a superb double save from Lopez and Robert Lewandowski to keep Racing in the contest, before Lozano once again had a goal ruled out for offside. Despite a late surge, which involved Garcia making a crucial save just before full time, Barca went up the other end, and Yamal scored a tap-in to help Barca go a round further than a Xabi Alonso-less Madrid.GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Campos de Sport de El Sardinero...Joan Garcia (8/10):Commanded his area fairly well early on and made a couple of smart stops along the way. Made a vital stop at the death to preserve their lead.Jules Kounde (7/10):Was on sweeper duty at the back and did it well in the first half. Most of his good work was in a defensive capacity.Pau Cubarsi (7/10):Had to deal with a pacy, counter-attacking attack and stood up well to it in the first 45, and that continued in the second.Gerard Martin (7/10):Held his own in the heart of Barca's defence and did a decent job when coming up against the tricky Suleiman Camara.Alejandro Balde (6/10):Was put on the back foot on a couple of occasions but largely held up pretty well to what came his way.Marc Casado (6/10):Broke up play on repeated occasions and worked his socks off for Flick's side.Dani Olmo (5/10):While he has undoubted quality, he disappears in games a bit too often. Was hooked after the hour mark.Marc Bernal (6/10):Had a couple of decent openings but didn't offer much creativity for his forward line.Lamine Yamal (7/10):Cut a frustrated figure at first as not much was sticking for him but he turned on the style a bit more in the second period. Grabbed a late goal to put more gloss on the scoreline.Ferran Torres (7/10):Was fairly anonymous in the opening 45 but took his goal well just when Barca's nerves may have been fraying. Marcus Rashford (6/10):Consistently whips in dangerous crosses and fashions chances for himself but was lacking a bit of spark.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingFermin Lopez (7/10):The young playmaker has repeatedly shown he can be a great impact player off the bench, and his vision paved the way to Barca's opener.Pedri (6/10):Was solid off the bench.Raphinha (7/10):Wasn't quite at the races but still popped up with a late assist.Robert Lewandowski (6/10):The Pole nearly scored shortly after coming on but was denied by an inspired keeper.Eric Garcia (N/A):Too little time to make an impact.Hansi Flick (7/10):His team were quite off colour in the first half and didn't really fashion any big chances but they were much improved in the second half as the hosts dropped off. The introduction of Lopez did the trick, too.
Barcelona vs Racing: Match Overview
Barcelona emerged victorious with a 2-0 win over Racing in the Copa del Rey, thanks to second-half goals from Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal. Substitute Fermin Lopez played a crucial role in the victory, providing the assist for Torres' goal.
Key Moments in the Match
The game saw Racing put up a strong fight, with Barcelona struggling to create clear-cut chances in the first half. However, they improved in the second half, with Torres opening the scoring in the 66th minute after a through ball from Lopez. Yamal sealed the win with a tap-in late in the game.
Player Performances - Barcelona Ratings
Among the standout players for Barcelona were Joan Garcia, who made important saves to preserve the lead, and Fermin Lopez, who showcased his impact off the bench by assisting Torres' goal. Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres also delivered crucial goals to secure the victory.
Hansi Flick's Influence
Flick's tactical adjustments made a difference in the game, as Barcelona improved their performance in the second half. The introduction of Lopez as a substitute proved instrumental in breaking the deadlock and ultimately securing the win.
