Barcelona Advances to Copa del Rey Quarter-Finals
Holders Barcelona successfully navigated a challenging match against Racing Santander to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
In a surprising turn of events, Real Madrid was eliminated by second-division team Albacete on Wednesday night, marking Alvaro Arbeloa's debut as manager following his appointment to replace Xabi Alonso.
La Liga leaders Barcelona faced stiff competition from their second-tier opponents until Ferran Torres broke the deadlock with a goal in the second half.
Lamine Yamal sealed the victory in stoppage time, converting a cross from Raphinha at the back post.
Despite dominating possession for most of the match, Barcelona struggled to find the net until substitute Fermin Lopez delivered an exquisite pass through the Santander defense, allowing Torres, who captained the team for the evening, to round goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta and score.
Santander currently leads the Spanish second division and is aiming for promotion back to La Liga for the first time since 2012.
Last season, Hansi Flick's Barcelona triumphed in the cup final against their rivals Real Madrid and will discover their opponents for the quarter-finals on Monday.