Barcelona edge Albacete to reach Copa del Rey semi-final

February 04, 2026 / 1:29 PM

Sharjah24: Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey semi-finals after a hard-fought 2–1 win over second-division side Albacete, who had earlier knocked Real Madrid out of the competition.

The defending champions secured the result with a composed performance, overcoming late pressure from the hosts to reach the final four.

Yamal and Araujo put Barcelona in control

Barcelona opened the scoring late in the first half through rising star Lamine Yamal, who finished off a move created by Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the 39th minute.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the second half when Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo, wearing the captain’s armband, scored in the 56th minute after an assist from England international Marcus Rashford.

Late Albacete goal sparks tense finish

Albacete pulled one back in the 87th minute through a header from Javi Moreno, setting up a tense finale. The hosts nearly forced extra time in stoppage time, but Gerard Martin cleared the ball off the line to preserve Barcelona’s lead and confirm their semi-final berth.