Barcelona took the pitch at the same location where Real Madrid and Celta Vigo were eliminated from the Copa del Rey in their match against Albacete last night.
However, this time around, the favorites emerged victorious.
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Aside from a tense final ten minutes where they faced increased pressure, Barcelona’s win was largely routine. They maintained their usual dominance in possession, dictated the pace of the match, and created attacking threats from both wings.
Lamine Yamal netted the opening goal in the first half, followed by a set-piece goal from Ronald Araujo after the interval.
Although the hosts briefly threatened a comeback, Barcelona successfully held on to secure their place in the next round.
Here are three key takeaways from Albacete 1-2 Barcelona.
Familiar Struggles
A recurring issue for Barcelona, as evidenced in recent matches and again highlighted last night, is their inability to finish chances effectively – an area where they were anticipated to improve.
Barcelona faced challenges against Albacete. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
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Following the victory against Elche, where Barcelona created 13 significant chances but only converted three, they created eight big opportunities last night but managed to score just twice.
To give context, their conversion rate was one out of 4.3 chances against Elche and one out of four last night.
This conversion ratio is neither satisfactory nor sustainable, especially considering how clear-cut many of the opportunities were.
As the season progresses, there is little room for such careless finishing.
Marcus Rashford struggled in front of goal, missing yet another 1v1 chance and a clear opportunity that Yamal set up perfectly.
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Similarly, striker Robert Lewandowski failed to take advantage of his chances, squandering at least two clear goals.
Ferran Torres, who was substituted in to replace the wayward strikers, also missed two clear-cut opportunities due to poor touches and finishes.
A Frightening Finish
Albacete put up a strong fight against Barcelona. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
As a result of Barcelona’s subpar finishing, they found themselves precariously close to a collapse with only a narrow two-goal lead as the clock wound down.
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Albacete began to increase the pressure and managed to score once, though it was disallowed for offside.
Their next significant attempt came in the 87th minute, and this time they succeeded in reducing the deficit to just one goal.
Forced to withstand ten minutes of intense pressure, including injury time, Barça were in a tight spot and felt the repercussions of their missed opportunities.
With the Copa del Rey not allowing for extra time, had Albacete equalized, the match would have proceeded directly to penalties, turning it into a lottery.
In fact, the game almost reached that critical point when the hosts seemingly found the equalizer, only a timely clearance off the line by Gerard Martin keeping Barcelona in the lead.
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This match underscores for Barcelona the vital importance of capitalizing on scoring chances and securing the win earlier.
After all, had they converted just a couple more of the six missed opportunities, they would have avoided a tense situation altogether.
Into the Semifinals
While the match revealed areas in need of improvement for Barcelona, the key takeaway amid a busy schedule is that they got the job done and achieved their objective.
Barcelona have secured a spot in the semifinals. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Albacete’s earlier exploits in the Copa del Rey will be remembered as a remarkable ‘giant-killing’ tale, particularly given their success in eliminating Leganes, Celta Vigo, and Real Madrid from the tournament.
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It’s somewhat poetic that the ‘giant’ they ultimately fell to was Barcelona, the defending champions and currently Spain’s most formidable team.
With the victory at Carlos Belmonte last night, Barcelona advances to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, placing them among the final four teams in the competition.
They remain on track to defend their title, just two opponents away, and continue to be contenders across all fronts this season.
The forthcoming draw will determine Barcelona’s path towards their title defense, but it will undoubtedly feature a club from Primera División.
Following the Albacete match, the challenge of facing spirited lower-division teams away from home comes to a close, and Barcelona has successfully navigated through the toughest part.