The quarterfinals of the 2025/26 Copa del Rey featured a highly anticipated match, with defending champions Barcelona defeating Albacete 2-1 away from home thanks to goals from Yamal and Araujo.

Four minutes into the game, Barcelona launched an attack. Yamal chipped the ball into the penalty area, where Rashford received it and crossed it, but the ball was cleared by an opposing player. In the 6th minute, Rashford received a through pass from Olmo and fired a low shot from inside the penalty area, but the ball went wide of the goal.

In the 15th minute, Cancelo tackled Albacete defender Dani Bernabeu while clearing the ball, and the referee showed Cancelo a yellow card. In the 29th minute, Yamal went down while trying to break through the defense, but the referee did not give a penalty.

In the 29th minute, Albacete launched a counter-attack immediately after a mistake by Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal. Puertas received a cross from his teammate and took a shot, but the ball was caught by Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

In the 39th minute, Rashford intercepted the ball and created an attacking opportunity. Frenkie de Jong passed the ball diagonally into the penalty area, where Yarma unleashed a long-range shot to score, giving Barcelona a 1-0 lead. In the 42nd minute, Rashford received the ball and passed it across, but Lewandowski's sliding shot failed to connect with the ball.

At the start of the second half, Barcelona substituted Pau Cuvarsi for Cancelo. Shortly after, Rashford broke through the defense and passed back, but Olmo's close-range shot was cleared. In the 56th minute, Rashford took a corner, and Araujo headed the ball into the net, extending Barcelona's lead to 2-0.

In the 57th minute, Barcelona attacked again. Yamal chipped the ball into the penalty area, and Lewandowski met it with a shot, but the ball was caught by Albacete goalkeeper Lizoain. In the 63rd minute, Olmo received a pass back from his teammate outside the penalty area and took a long-range shot, but Lizoain made a diving save.

In the 70th minute, Yamal made a diagonal pass, and Ferran Torres followed up with a shot, but the ball was blocked by Albacete goalkeeper Lizoain. In the 84th minute, Albacete launched a counter-attack, and Puertas received a pass back from his teammate and slotted the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed due to offside.

In the 87th minute, Carlos Lazzo took a free kick, and Javi Moreno headed the ball into the net, helping Albacete pull one back to 2-1. In the 90th minute, Gerard Martín passed the ball across, and Ferran Torres scored with a low shot, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Ultimately, Barcelona defeated Albacete 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals.

Image source: Internet