Hansi Flick rang the changes for Barcelona’s trip to the Pedro Escartín to face third-tier Guadalajara, and while quality still filled the pitch, the Blaugrana were made to work far harder than expected in their first Copa del Rey outing of the season, Softfootball reports.
Fresh from a comfortable 2-0 La Liga win over Osasuna, Barcelona were widely tipped to cruise through this tie. In fact, Softfootball’s pre-match preview had boldly predicted a 5-0 rout a forecast that proved wildly optimistic as Guadalajara delivered a disciplined and courageous performance.
A delayed kick-off, caused by fans filtering into temporary stands, set the tone for an unusual evening. Once underway, the opening exchanges were cagey in the cold conditions, with Barcelona dominating possession but struggling to break down a well-organised home defence. Fermín López went closest before the break with a swerving effort from distance, while Eric García twice found space in the box for free headers one comfortably saved, the other glanced over the bar.
Barcelona’s best chance early in the second half fell to Marcus Rashford, but the forward was denied by an excellent stop from Daniel Vicente. Flick responded by gradually introducing his heavy artillery, sending on Pau Cubarsí, Jules Koundé, Alejandro Balde and Pedri in a clear signal that patience was wearing thin.
Despite the reinforcements, clear-cut chances remained scarce. Lamine Yamal’s direct running was repeatedly snuffed out, while Andreas Christensen was required to intervene defensively to cut out Guadalajara’s most dangerous move of the night. Moments later, the Dane proved decisive at the other end.
With just under 15 minutes remaining, a partially cleared corner fell to Frenkie de Jong via Pedri, and the Dutchman’s teasing cross picked out Christensen at the back post. His close-range header took a deflection and looped high into the net, finally breaking Guadalajara’s resistance.
The hosts responded admirably, pushing forward with renewed belief. Barcelona captain Marc-André ter Stegen, making his first appearance of the season, was called into action twice most notably producing a sharp save to repel a fierce strike from Salifo Caropitchie.
As Guadalajara committed numbers forward in search of an equaliser, spaces inevitably opened up. Lamine Yamal exploited one such moment, slipping a perfectly weighted pass in behind the defence for Rashford, who made no mistake this time, rounding Vicente and finishing high into the net to seal the tie.
After the game, Barcelona shared via its official X handle, celebrations of Andreas Christensen and teammates as they finally found the break through against a determined Guadalajara side. They posted:
The final whistle was met with loud applause from the home crowd, whose relentless support reflected a performance full of heart and organisation. While the scoreline ultimately favoured Barcelona, this was far from the stroll many anticipated.
For Flick, the night offered limited tactical takeaways, but valuable minutes for youngsters Marc Bernal and Torrents, and an impressive all-round display from Andreas Christensen ensured Barcelona progressed, although without the fireworks many had predicted.
