🇪🇸 Barcelona and Atleti strut their stuff to reach Copa del Rey quarters
More Copa del Rey action continued on Wednesday with two LaLiga giants in action. Here is what went down.
Barcelona crush Real Betis
Scorers: Gavi 3', Kounde 27', Raphinha 58', Torres 67', Yamal 75'; Roque 84' (P)
Barcelona cruised into the Copa del Rey quarters with a 5-1 win over Real Betis.
Gavi broke the deadlock after receiving a ball from Dani Olmo in the box and his close control skills helped him drive a low roller home.
Another youngster was later strutting his stuff in Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old teed up the second goal with a ball over the top for Jules Kounde to make things 2-0.
As Barcelona hunted for a third, VAR was busy. An emphatic Kounde strike hit off the crossbar was ruled out for offside before a Yamal goal was called off for the same reason.
1 - @Lamineeyamal__ 🇪🇸 has scored and assisted for the first time in a single game in his career as a professional player (92 matches in total – 75 with @FCBarcelona and 17 with @SEFutbol). Clairvoyance. pic.twitter.com/rkRZhp00k6
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 15, 2025
But an in-form Raphinha ensured his side hit three goals on the night when he volleyed home from inside the box for his 30th goal contribution this season.
Substitute Ferran Torres later joined in on the action with a volley of his own off the bench as he shushed the haters in celebration.
Yamal later finally added a goal of his own to wrap up back-to-back games where Barcelona scored five.
A comeback from Real Betis was truthfully never in question, with the visitors registering just three shots on target against one of Europe's best sides.
But Vitor Roque did erase Barcelona's clean sheet hopes with a late penalty against his parent club.
Atleti ease past 10-man Elche
Scorers: Sorloth 8', 29' (P), Riquelme 61', Alvarez 75'. Red: Fernandez 50'
Elsewhere in Spain, Atlético de Madrid also reached the quarter-finals after a dominant 4-0 victory over 10-man Elche.
The hosts maintained most possession in the first half, which was a tight contest, but the visitors found the net thanks to their in-form striker.
Alexander Sørloth opened the scoring after he peeled off his defender just above the penalty spot and blasted home quickly on the right side of the net.
The striker then converted a penalty to double the advantage for Diego Simeone's side by the half-hour mark.
⚽️ ¡¡RO RO ROMPE EL BALÓN RIQUELME PARA EL TERCEROOOO!! ¡¡QUÉ GOLAZO!!
🆚 @elchecf | 0-3 | @Atleti | 62’
📺 @La1_tve
ℹ️ Minuto a minuto: https://t.co/CAQw8fCr6Y#LaCopaMola🏆 | #CopaDelReyMAPFRE pic.twitter.com/x5XKiwqhvz— RFEF (@rfef) January 15, 2025
Unfortunately for Elche, things worsened after the break when Nicolás Fernández was sent off with a second yellow and 40 minutes still to play.
The man advantage allowed Atleti to net a third via Rodrigo Riquelme. The 24-year-old picked up the ball from the left side of midfield and thumped a rocket from outside the box into the top right corner.
Substitute Julián Alvarez added a fourth off the bench when he pounced on a loose ball in the box to wrap up the big win.
📸 MANAURE QUINTERO - AFP or licensors