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Jul 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez Martin (29) celebrates with FC Barcelona forward Ansu Fati (10) after scoring a goal during the second half against Real Madrid at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

FC Barcelona Succeeds In Copa Del Rey

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Stefania Zajdel | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 8:46 AM ET

FC Barcelona is having a phenomenal start to 2026. So far, they have won all their games, and their streak includes an impressive 5-0 victory and a win over Real Madrid. The latter made Barcelona the champions of the Supercopa de España. Barcelona’s fourth meeting of the year was a Copa del Rey game against Segunda División’s Real Racing Club Santander.

A Slow Start

Although many fans may have been hoping for an easy victory, Santander quickly demonstrated that they had come to fight. The first minutes of the game were played almost entirely by Joan García’s net. Santander noted corner after corner, but none of them were converted into viable attack.

Having given their opponents the chance to show their hand, Barcelona quickly regained control of the game, moving it towards the other side of the field. With the Catalan team seemingly saving strength, the game cooled off as the minutes ticked down. Santander attempted to create some dangerous situations, but none of its attacks posed even the slightest problem for Barcelona’s young goalkeeper. The first half ended with a somewhat disappointing result of no goals scored by either of the teams.

The Goal That Saved It All

Barcelona started the second half with a few early chances, created by Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford. To the disappointment of all their Culers, they weren’t converted into goals. To see a change in score, they needed to wait until the 66th minute. For the 15th time this season, Ferran Torres got past his opponent’s defense. After an underwhelming start, Barcelona moved into the lead.

With the score opened, the game significantly heated up. Yellow cards flew from the referee’s pocket as both teams tried to attack the goals. Ten minutes after Barcelona gained the advantage, the playing field came close to being levelled, as Santander managed to put the ball in Blaugrana’s net. It didn’t end up affecting the score as Barcelona’s defense managed to catch their opponents offside.

A very similar situation took place in the 86th minute. Just as the home fans began celebrating the late equalizer, another offside was declared, leaving the score at 1-0. Just as the game was about come to an end, Yamal put the final nail in Santander’s coffin, scoring in the fifth minute of added time. As most people expected, Barcelona eliminated its opponents from the competition.

Jul 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; FC Barcelona forward Ferran Torres (11) shoots as Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) defends during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

End Of My FC Barcelona Rant

Although the game was far from Barcelona’s best, it was enough to earn them a spot in the next round of the Copa del Ray. This is particularly important given that their main rivals, Real Madrid, have been eliminated from the competition by Segunda División’s Albacete. There are still a few matches separating the Catalan giants from the trophy, but the victory puts them on the path towards success.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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