January 20, (THEWILL) – Last year’s Copa del Rey finalists clashed in the Round of 16 on Thursday night, with Barcelona exiting the competition after a thrilling 3-2 extra-time loss to Athletic Bilbao.
Xavi’s side twice fought back from going behind in regular time, with goals from new man Ferran Torres and the outstanding Pedri in each half, but Iker Muniain’s penalty put the game to bed and avenged their loss from last season.
Following mutual disappointment in the Saudi Arabia-based Supercopa event, in which Real Madrid triumphed, the teams were pitted against each other just days after returning to Spain.
The hosts got off to a flying start, breaking the deadlock in only two minutes. Nico Williams, who was causing all sorts of truck troubles for Jordi Alba, went on a rampaging run down the right side before finding Muniain, who scored with a moment of magic.
Picking up Williams’ pull-back, the Athletic Club captain moved to the left side of the penalty area before combining whip and curl to lift the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen and into the far corner.
Xavi’s men, on the other hand, reacted well to the setback and steadily regained control of the tie, equalising after 20 minutes. Torres scored his first goal for Barcelona, twisting the ball into the far corner after receiving a pass into the area from Sergio Busquets.
Barca may have equalised, but in the true spirit of a cup tie, the impetus shifted once more. Muniain, Oscar De Marcos, Williams, Oihan Sancet, and Raul Garcia all had chances to score before the halftime whistle, but the visitors were saved by a mixture of poor finishing and strong goalkeeping as the game neared its halfway point.
Minutes after the restart, Williams forced Ter Stegen into another save. But, neither goalie was overworked after the break until the game erupted in the 85th minute.
Bilbao finally broke past Barcelona’s tenacious defensive line with five minutes left to retake their lead. The hosts scored their second of the night from a set-piece situation just minutes after substitute Inaki Williams’ attempted cross frightened the visitors by falling flat against the crossbar.
After a tussle in the six-yard box, the ball broke to the back post, where Inigo Martinez just managed to nudge the ball over the line, sending the San Mames Stadium into a frenzy.
Marcelino’s men were celebrating again just three minutes later, but a VAR review marred the celebrations after spotting Alex Berenguer in an offside position before placing the ball into the net.
Barcelona threw everything at the disposal at the hosts’ goal, and Xavi’s team fought their way back into the tie in the third minute of stoppage time, despite not entirely deservedly. Pedri pounced on Dani Alves’ errant bicycle kick and blasted home expertly on the outskirts of the box to send the match into extra time.
But, there was still heartbreak for Barca. Following a review on the pitch-side monitor, the referee assessed Alba to have handled Williams’ cross shortly before the halfway mark of the extra period. Muniain made no mistake when he stepped up to take the penalty and made it 3-2 for the hosts.
Barca had a glimmer of hope after that, but Torres’ clinical finish was called back when the linesman’s extraordinarily late raised flag spoiled the joy of the away fans. As the game progressed, the visitors were unable to break down Bilbao’s brick wall of a backline, eventually succumbing to a Copa del Rey dumping.
While the incumbent champions will be unable to defend their title, Barcelona’s focus will shift to La Liga as they attempt to qualify for the Champions League, beginning with their trip to Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
