Barcelona 3-1 Unionistas de Salamanca (18 Jan, 2024) Game Analysis

Barcelona picked up the pace in the second half to beat third division club Unionistas 3-1 and advance to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Thursday.

This will be the second consecutive participation in the round of 16 for the Catalan club, arriving under pressure after losing the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid on Sunday.

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After being held to a 1-1 draw at halftime, Barcelona improved in the second half to secure victory thanks to goals from Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde.

The hosts took the lead thanks to a magnificent one-timer from Álvaro Gómez in the 31st minute before Ferran Torres equalized for Barcelona on a breakaway in the 45th. Koundé scored with a long shot in the 69th and Balde sealed the victory with a shot from a tight angle in the 73rd.

“After a tough defeat in the Super Cup, we needed to bounce back,” Koundé said. “It wasn’t easy, they have a good team and they were very motivated.”

The Unionistas had a few chances to go close towards the end, but Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña made some good saves to maintain a comfortable lead in the 5,000 capacity Reina Sofia Stadium.

Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí, 16, made his first-team debut, coming on after half-time to replace Andreas Christensen.

Barcelona are seeking their first Copa title since 2021, after being knocked out by Madrid in the semi-finals last year. The Catalan club is the most successful team in the Copa with 31 titles.

The Unionistas had eliminated Villarreal on penalties in the previous round. Their best Copa campaign so far had been a round of 16 appearance in 2020, when they lost to Real Madrid.

Girona, Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad reached the quarter-finals on Wednesday, while Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao and Mallorca qualified on Tuesday.

The draw for the quarter-finals will take place on Friday. The knockout matches will be played next week.