Madrid (EFE) Seville in extra time (2-1).
Dembélé short-circuits Real
The most colorful and decisive version of Ousmane Dembélé short-circuited Real Sociedad’s plan at the Spotify Camp Nou (1-0), which played more than half a game in inferiority due to the expulsion of Brais Méndez, and propelled Barcelona to the semifinals of the King’s Cup.
The Barça team, which completed a remarkable first half, had enough with a whiplash from the ‘mosquito’ in the 52nd minute and ended up asking for the time in a vibrant duel. In the closing stages of the match, Marc-André ter Stegen saved the equalizer for the Basque team on two occasions.
The Camp Nou continues to be a cursed stadium for Real, which has gone almost 32 years without conquering the Barça fiefdom. In the 31st match without winning in Barcelona, the ‘mosquito’ ended the hopes of the txuri urdin team, who, despite the disappointment of the defeat, ended the match with their heads held high.
Xavi promised a great game at the press conference. And his team fulfilled the promise in the first half. The same eleven players came out who already shone against Real Madrid (3-1) in the final of the Spanish Super Cup. And the Barça of the four midfielders -De Jong, Busquets, Gavi and Pedri- liked it again. The Egarense coach did not even give the alternative to Iñaki Peña in the alternative, starter in the first two qualifiers.
Ter Stegen, decisive in the second half, was placed under the sticks, but in the first 45 minutes he gave a magisterial lesson on how to overcome the pressure of Real Sociedad with precise movements looking for the free man. This is how some of the clear arrivals of his team arrived in the first half, with a devilish Dembélé on the right wing.
The always unpredictable French striker was a gazelle down the right flank. His fast dribbles and precise touches at the first touch drove the Basque defense crazy, especially the left-back Diego Rico, but the blaugrana footballers started the game with wet gunpowder.
An individual drive from midfield by the protagonist of the match ended with a slightly deflected shot from the edge of the area. The Frenchman reappeared shortly after to invent an inside pass to Frenkie de Jong that did not find a goal.
Before, they annulled Lewandowski, who was reunited with the referee who sent him off against Osasuna in the League, a goal by Frenkie de Jong for clear offside. The Dutchman, in an advanced position, touched the ball before he entered the goal.
Despite Barca’s dominance, Real, true to their style, did not give up the ball and found their best man in the subsidiary midfielder Pablo Marín to braid arrivals at Ter Stegen’s goal. From his boots came the play that ended with a left-footed shot from Take Kubo spitting off the crossbar.
The shot from the Japanese was the best chance for Imanol Alguacial’s team before the duel, electrifying and showy until then, became entangled due to the expulsion of Brais Méndez (min.41).
The midfielder, who Jesús Gil Manzano had already threatened to reprimand in a previous attack on Lewandowski, arrived at the wrong time in an incident with Sergio Busquets who was given a template in the ankle area. The VAR notified the referee, who had initially shown him the yellow card, and finally decided to send him off with a direct red card.
The game was complicated for the txuri urdin team who, with an inferiority, gave up pressing Barcelona and chose to look for their options through direct football. Imanol Alguacil moved the bench in the restart, who brought on Ander Barranetxea for Oyarzabal and took Diego Rico out of the game, Dembélé’s victim in the first half.
But not even Aihen Muñoz could stop the ‘mosquito’, who won a race into space at minute 52, activated sixth gear and, when Remiro thought he would assist Lewandowski, he invented a powerful whiplash that ended up in the net.
The goal relaxed Barça, a recurring scenario in recent games. And the Basque team did not hesitate to take advantage of it. Barca’s dominance with the ball evaporated and their rival, even in inferiority, put the Barca defense in trouble.
Real touched the tie with a very clear opportunity from Sorloth. The Norwegian giant missed only inside the six-yard box after a precise assist from Kubo.
After ten minutes of nap, Barça returned to recover the intensity. The ball circulated fluidly again and Dembélé’s mischief appeared again on the right wing. A cross from the main actor of the game was picked up by Gavi inside the area, but the crossbar prevented the Andalusian from scoring.
Barcelona did not close the match and Real advanced the lines in the last minutes looking for a tie. Robert Navarro had it in the 87th minute, who did not know how to take advantage of a bad outing from Ter Stegen, who avoided the goal with his right hand.
In the rebound, Carlos Fernández did not find a goal. In the penultimate play of the match, the German goalkeeper rejected another powerful shot from Olasagasti.
Barça is three games away from lifting the Cup thanks to the rhythm of Dembélé and the iron solidity of Ter Stegen.
A heroic Osasuna signs up for the Cup
Sevilla’s departure surprised an Osasuna wrapped up by their fans who braved the cold of Pamplona with a backpack full of hope for sneaking into the Copa del Rey semifinals 18 years later.
Sampaoli’s men came out bossy, dominating possession against some reds with a certain nervousness that could not calm down with continuous inaccuracies every time the ball reached their boots.
Lamela threatened Sergio Herrera with a shot after David García saved his team by clearing the ball. Osasuna connected in minute 25. Those from Arrasate braided the first play. Moncayola put in a cross from the right for a Barja who finished off with a header wide.
With the passing of the minutes, Osasuna managed to activate with great difficulty. Sevilla’s intensity was not rewarded. Rafa Mir sent a clear one on one to the clouds that gave life to his rival. The clash went to halftime with everything to be decided in an appointment highly anticipated by the local parish, which had not enjoyed the Copa del Rey in its fiefdom for five years.
It seems that Arrasate’s talk at halftime had an effect. Osasuna increased the revolutions and did not allow the visitors to continue imposing his law. The result of this was about to reach 1-0.
A few sighs later, Kike Barja crossed from the left to the far post before the arrival of Chimy Ávila. Bono, recently replaced Dmitrovic, put on the superhero cape to get a saving hand before the Argentine’s point-blank shot. People didn’t believe it.
The story was different. Sevilla was not so clear and the game gained in emotion. Herrera had two good interventions with which Sevilla warned. The ecstasy was about to arrive.
A Juan Cruz ride gave rise to the first goal of the match. The winger crossed so that Rubén García became enormous and gave in to Chimy Ávila. The ‘Commander’, with his back to the goal, turned in the blink of an eye to set up the cross shot that Moroccan Bono missed.
Sevilla had to go up, leaving the defense unguarded. Faced with this decision, Osasuna tried to steal and go up quickly. Abde came out to unbalance and Ante Budimir to pester the defenders ad nauseam.
Desperate now, Suso crossed for En-Nesyri to blow up the visiting stands, filled to the brim with 600 displaced people. Extra time awaited with a Sevilla charged with morale after the goal.
A well-arrived counter ended at Abde’s feet. The winger resolved by shooting between Badé and the post to put his team ahead again. The player on loan from Barcelona scored the first goal for him as an Osasunista.
Finally, Osasuna knew how to suffer to win a great tie that helps the Navarrese to consolidate and give meaning to everything they have worked on over the years. The hundred-year-old entity returns to the forefront of Spanish football.
