Softfootball understands that defending champions FC Barcelona booked their place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over a stubborn Racing Santander side at a rocking Estadio El Sardinero. following their recent 3-2 Super Cup final victory against Real Madrid and a 5-0 victory against Athletic Club.
After the game Barcelona shared a post about the result via their official X account.
Goals from Ferran Torres and teenage star Lamine Yamal in the second half were enough to get the job done. From the first whistle, Racing showed they weren’t here to make up numbers.
Barcelona may have enjoyed most of the ball, but they found little joy trying to play through the middle. Chances were rare, rhythm was broken, and passes went sideways more than forward.
Racing, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the break. Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García, handed a rare start, was called into action early and often, producing a series of sharp saves inside the opening 20 minutes. By half-time, the scoreboard stayed blank, though the hosts probably felt they’d done more than enough to trouble the favourites.
The pattern didn’t change much after the break. Racing kept their shape, Barcelona kept probing, but the final touch kept going missing.
That was until Fermín López stepped off the bench and shifted the tempo. In the 66th minute, his perfectly weighted through ball cut Racing open, allowing Ferran Torres, wearing the captain’s armband, to round the keeper and finish calmly into an empty net. Simple, but deadly.
Racing pushed hard for a late equaliser and almost got it. In stoppage time, Manex Lozano broke through, only for García to stand tall once again. Seconds later, Barcelona struck on the counter. Raphinha squared across goal, and Lamine Yamal tapped home at the far post in the 95th minute, sealing the tie and, honestly, ending the drama.
It wasn’t vintage Barcelona. But cup football doesn’t ask for perfection, just moments. Racing Santander deserved applause for their bravery and organisation, while Barcelona march on, still alive in their Copa del Rey title defence.
