Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal struck in the second half to send defending champions Barcelona into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey after a hard-fought away victory over Racing Santander.
Barcelona were pushed to the limit by their determined hosts, who sit top of Spain’s second division and are chasing a return to La Liga for the first time since 2012. Despite dominating possession, the visitors struggled to carve out clear chances in a tense first half.
The breakthrough finally arrived after the interval when substitute Fermín López threaded a brilliant through ball into the path of Torres. Wearing the captain’s armband, the forward showed composure beyond the moment, rounding goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta before calmly slotting home.
Racing Santander continued to press, but Barcelona sealed the contest deep into stoppage time. Lamine Yamal met Raphinha’s cross at the far post to double the lead and extinguish any hopes of a late comeback.
The result contrasts sharply with Real Madrid’s fortunes in the competition. Los Blancos suffered a shock exit on Wednesday night, losing to second-division side Albacete in Álvaro Arbeloa’s first match in charge following the departure of Xabi Alonso.
Barcelona, who lifted the Copa del Rey last season with a commanding final victory over Real Madrid, will learn their quarter-final opponents when the draw is made on Monday.
