Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory against third-division club Guadalajara on Tuesday, thanks to late goals from Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey. The match was delayed due to issues with the stadium’s temporary grandstand.
Kickoff was pushed back by 30 minutes as local authorities initially prohibited fans from entering the newly constructed grandstand at the Pedro Escartín stadium in Guadalajara, located near Madrid. Long queues formed outside until police eventually allowed spectators inside. The addition of the new stand increased the stadium’s capacity from nearly 6,000 to about 8,000.
Barcelona dominated the game from the outset but found it challenging to generate clear scoring opportunities against their lower-tier rivals.
“I was pleased with the attitude we displayed today,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick remarked to reporters. “That was crucial for our victory. In matches like these in the Copa, it’s never easy because they defend exceptionally well. However, the most important thing is the attitude and mentality we showed on the pitch, which was commendable.”
Flick gave a first start of the season to returning goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, as Joan García was rested. Flick indicated on Monday that García is his primary choice and mentioned that Ter Stegen will need to decide on his future with the club.
“For me, Marc is the captain and has been with the club for about 12 years. He’s back now,” Flick explained after the game. “We want to give him, or the coaches—it’s been discussed—the chance to demonstrate that he’s back. But this was just for this match. Nothing more. He had the opportunity to play, and I think it was a positive step for him.”
Guadalajara tested Ter Stegen early with a long-range shot that he had to scramble back to stop from crossing the line.
Barcelona then prompted a reaction from the opposing keeper with a similar attempt from distance by Eric García, which nearly resulted in an own goal by Dani Vicente, who managed to recover.
Vicente was called into action multiple times, first saving a long-range shot from Christensen and then collecting a free kick taken by Rashford after Lamine Yamal was brought down.
After halftime, Barcelona increased their intensity, with Rashford denied twice by Vicente—first with a straightforward shot and then from close range.
The breakthrough came in the 76th minute when a corner kick found Frenkie de Jong, whose precise cross was headed home by Christensen, overcoming a resilient Vicente.
Barcelona sealed the win when Rashford intercepted a through-ball from Yamal, rounded the goalkeeper, and tapped the ball into an empty net.
Information for this report was sourced from ESPN’s Sam Marsden, the Associated Press, and PA.