Barcelona overcame a resilient CD Guadalajara and a bizarre pre-match delay to secure a 2-0 victory in the Copa del Rey Round of 32 on Tuesday. The La Liga leaders were forced to wait an extra 30 minutes for kickoff due to safety concerns regarding a newly built temporary grandstand at the Pedro Escartín stadium, which local police initially refused to open. Once the match began, Hansi Flick's side dominated possession but struggled to break down their third-tier opponents for the majority of the contest.
Despite enjoying over 80% possession in the first half, the Catalans lacked a cutting edge against Guadalajara's disciplined five-man defense. The hosts, buoyed by a capacity crowd of 8,000, frustrated Barcelona's attack, with goalkeeper Dani Vicente making crucial stops to deny Marcus Rashford twice early in the second half.
Flick, who had handed a first start of the season to returning captain Marc-André ter Stegen, was forced to introduce regulars like Pedri and Jules Koundé off the bench to inject urgency into the performance.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 76th minute through an unlikely source. Frenkie de Jong, operating in a more advanced role, whipped a cross into the box where defender Andreas Christensen rose highest.
His header took a deflection off Guadalajara's Julio Martinez, leaving Vicente helpless as the ball nestled into the net. The goal brought relief to the visitors, who had begun to look vulnerable to Guadalajara's counter-attacks.
Guadalajara nearly snatched a sensational equalizer moments later when Alejandro Cañizo found space in the box, but Ter Stegen proved his worth with a sharp reaction save to preserve the lead.
With the hosts pushing forward in desperation during stoppage time, Lamine Yamal capitalized on the space, delivering a sublime through-ball to Rashford. The English forward showed great composure to round the goalkeeper and tap into an empty net, sealing the 2-0 win in the 90th minute.
Speaking after the match, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his team's professionalism in difficult circumstances. "I was happy with the attitude we showed today. It was the key for the victory," Flick said. He also commented on Ter Stegen’s return after a long injury layoff, stating, "For me, Marc is the captain... I want to give him the opportunity to show that he's back. But it's for this game. Nothing else."
