Barcelona Survive the Mud to Beat a Brave Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey
So, let me walk you through what turned out to be a much tougher night than expected for Barcelona against Dépor Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey. On paper, this looked like a routine tie. In reality, it became one of those classic cup matches where patience, resilience, and a bit of luck were needed to get the job done.
Barcelona eventually won 2–0 at the Pedro Escartín, but the scoreline doesn’t fully explain how uncomfortable things were for long stretches. For 75 minutes, the defending champions were locked in a frustrating stalemate against a Guadalajara side that played with heart, discipline, and absolutely nothing to lose. The match itself was delayed by half an hour due to chaos around stadium access, and that uneasy atmosphere seemed to spill right onto the pitch.
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From the opening whistle, Barcelona dominated possession, moving the ball endlessly from side to side. However, Guadalajara stayed compact, crowded their own box, and made life extremely difficult through the middle. Attacks were forced wide, crosses were sent in repeatedly, and chances were limited. It was one of those nights where the ball just refused to go in, no matter how hard Barcelona tried.
Guadalajara, to their credit, didn’t just sit back. When chances came to break forward, they took them bravely. A long-range rocket from Salifo Caropitche later in the game even forced a sharp save from Ter Stegen, reminding everyone that Barcelona were far from safe. For a while, it genuinely felt like the underdogs were one moment away from causing real panic.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 76th minute, and it came with a slice of fortune. A cross was delivered into the box, Christensen rose to meet it, and with the help of a slight deflection off a defender, the ball crossed the line. Relief was written all over Barcelona’s faces. The wall had finally cracked.
As Guadalajara pushed forward in search of a miracle equalizer, spaces began to open. That’s when Barcelona’s quality showed in the closing moments. In the 89th minute, Lamine Yamal slipped a perfectly weighted pass into Marcus Rashford’s path. The English forward kept his composure, rounded the defender, and finished into an empty net to seal the tie.
In the end, Barcelona did what champions often have to do in the Copa del Rey: suffer, wait, and strike late. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t dominant, but it was enough. Guadalajara walked off with their heads held high after a heroic performance, while Barcelona booked their place in the round of 16, still alive in their mission to defend the trophy.
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