Barcelona grind past Racing Santander to reach Copa del Rey quarterfinals as Valencia advance and Albacete’s shock shapes the field
SANTANDER, Spain — FC Barcelona booked a Copa del Rey quarterfinal place with a 2-0 win away to second-tier leader Racing Santander on Thursday night, a patient performance sealed by Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal as the knockout bracket took further shape after a seismic upset earlier in the week.
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In a tie that demanded control more than flair, Barcelona — resting Pedri, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski from the starting XI — labored through a cagey first half against an organized Racing block before finding the breakthrough in the 65th minute. Fermin Lopez split the lines with a crisp, angled pass and Torres ghosted in behind to finish calmly for 1-0.
Racing, who defended deep and kept the middle congested for long stretches, grew braver as time ebbed away and nearly punished Barcelona’s inability to kill the game earlier. Young loanee Manex Lozano had the ball in the net twice only to be denied by offside flags on both occasions, and he forced a late save from Joan Garcia as the second-tier leaders chased a dramatic equalizer.
Barcelona made them pay on the counter in the final minute. With Racing committed forward, Yamal surged into space and swept home the second, a clinical end to a move that exposed the risk Racing had taken in pursuit of parity. It was the final act of a tie that highlighted the difference between control and incision — Barcelona found both just in time.
For stretches, the visitors looked short of rhythm without their usual creators, lacking the final pass to turn possession into chances. But Lopez’s composure between the lines shifted the tempo after halftime, and Torres’ movement punished the first lapse of Racing’s compact back line. Jokin Ezkieta kept the hosts in it with two sharp stops in the closing minutes, ensuring the final frame stayed tense before Yamal ended the argument.
The win sends Barcelona into Monday’s quarterfinal draw, where narrative threads abound across a bracket that also includes Valencia — 2-0 winners at Burgos in soaking, frigid conditions at El Plantío — along with Athletic Club, Atlético Madrid, Deportivo Alavés, Real Betis, Real Sociedad and the tournament’s most improbable storyline, second-tier Albacete.
Valencia’s victory, a welcome reprieve from their La Liga relegation dogfight, arrived with clarity at both ends. Rubén Iranzo’s thumping header from a corner settled early nerves, and new signing Umar Sadiq struck three minutes after halftime to put Burgos out of reach. In a game governed by sleet, puddles and second balls, Valencia found set-piece precision and a direct edge — the exact ingredients knockouts often demand.
But no result this round resonated like Albacete’s 3-2 shock of Real Madrid on Wednesday, a cup upset of rare scale that reorients the tournament’s power map. With Madrid gone, the draw opens slightly for the rest of the field — especially for teams capable of navigating the small margins that define single-elimination play. Athletic’s intensity, Atlético’s pragmatism, Real Sociedad’s cohesion and Barcelona’s depth give the quarterfinals a layered competitiveness that should survive beyond star power alone.
Thursday’s tie in Santander underlined that same point. Racing, leading the second division on merit, pressed the favorite into decision-making they did not always relish. Barcelona’s structure held — their back line largely unruffled despite the late scares — and their bench provided the decisive quality. Torres’ timing and Yamal’s cool finishing, plus Garcia’s alert late stop, framed a performance that was more functional than fluid but fully fit for cup football’s demands.
Key takeaways from the round:
- Barcelona found solutions without key starters, leveraging Fermin Lopez’s passing range and Ferran Torres’ movement to unlock a low block.
- Racing Santander underscored why it leads the second division: compact, disciplined and dangerous on transitions, a profile that travels in knockouts.
- Valencia’s set-piece strength and direct finishing cut through harsh conditions at Burgos, offering a psychological lift ahead of league battles.
- Albacete’s elimination of Real Madrid reshapes the bracket and affirms the Copa’s capacity for shock. The second-tier side carries the round’s signature story into the last eight.
Monday’s quarterfinal draw will feature:
- Athletic Club
- Atlético Madrid
- Deportivo Alavés
- FC Barcelona
- Real Betis
- Real Sociedad
- Valencia
- Albacete (second tier)
With the field set, Barcelona’s path now hinges on whether this controlled, risk-managed version of itself can rise to the sharper stakes of a quarterfinal. On Thursday, it did enough — and in the Copa del Rey, enough can carry you a long way.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
