Barcelona survive Copa scare as Lamine Yamal fires holders into Copa del Rey quarter-finals

• What happened: Barcelona beat Racing Santander 2-0 in the Copa del Rey after late goals from Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal.
• Why it matters now: Result arrives one day after Real Madrid’s shock exit, shifting focus to Barca’s title defence.
• What changes for people: The win pushes Barca into the quarter-finals, keeping hopes alive for another domestic trophy this season.
• Who is affected: Fans, club officials and La Liga stakeholders invested in tournament competitiveness.

Barcelona kept hold of their Copa del Rey crown on 16 January 2026, surviving a stubborn challenge from Racing Santander before securing a 2-0 win away from home. The tie looked in danger of turning into another upset just hours after Real Madrid were knocked out, but decisive contributions from the bench turned the night in Hansi Flick’s favour.

Barcelona’s control of possession was never in doubt, yet their lack of first-half cutting edge gave Racing genuine belief. The hosts, leading La Liga 2, pressed intelligently and threatened through crosses and transitions, keeping the home crowd engaged from kick-off following a short 15-minute security delay.

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How Barcelona took control

Barca emerged after the interval with more urgency. Lamine Yamal went close twice, while Marcus Rashford forced goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta into a full-stretch save. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 66th minute, when substitute Fermin Lopez threaded a clever ball into the feet of Ferran Torres, who rounded the keeper and finished calmly.

Racing thought they had equalised in the 76th minute, only for Manex Lozano to see his strike ruled out for offside. The hosts kept pushing, with Joan Garcia making a vital stop late on to protect the lead.

With Racing stretched in stoppage time, Barcelona countered and Yamal, who had grown into the match, tapped in the second goal to settle the contest and underline Barca’s resilience.

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Player ratings highlight key contributors

Based on performance review from the match:

Top performers:
• Joan Garcia (8/10): Strong in the air and produced a crucial late save.
• Fermin Lopez (7/10): Injected creativity, assisted the opener.
• Lamine Yamal (7/10): Frustrated early, decisive late with the second goal.

Solid contributors:
• Torres (7/10) for the opener, Kounde (7/10) and Cubarsi (7/10) for defensive stability.

Under-par displays:
• Dani Olmo (5/10) struggled to impose himself and was replaced after the hour.

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What this result means

Barca advance to the quarter-finals, keeping their domestic trophy defence alive and boosting morale after a testing run of fixtures. Analysts note that Flick’s side showed improvement in:

• In-game adjustments
• Squad depth usage
• Game management under pressure

Sporting commentators also linked the result to broader tournament context, with Real Madrid’s exit amplifying attention on Barcelona’s response.

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Expert and club reaction

Team insiders credited Flick’s second-half changes for shifting momentum. Club analysts highlighted Lopez’s impact as further evidence of Barca’s academy depth, reinforcing a long-term strategy prioritising youth development alongside marquee signings.

There were no public safety incidents reported after the short pre-match delay, and local authorities described the measures as precautionary.

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Why mobile readers should care

The Copa del Rey remains one of Spain’s most unpredictable competitions, influencing fixture congestion, trophy narratives, broadcast rights interest and fan engagement. With Madrid out and Barcelona through, storylines around dominance, depth and long-term planning take centre stage heading into February.