Barcelona’s possible opponents for Copa del Rey Round of 16

Barcelona skipped past a tricky challenge against Barbastro at Estadio Municipal, a venue which holds a mere 5000 spectators, in the Round of 32 of Copa del Rey.

While the team from Catalonia put in a good shift in the first 50 minutes of the play, going 2-0 ahead, a late scare from Marc Prat Serrano almost spoiled the party for Xavi and co.

However, having registered a 3-2 win over the Segunda Federacion – Group 2 side, Barcelona have now advanced to the next round and their possible opponents are as follows: Atletico Madrid, Getafe, Girona, Rayo Vallecano, Alaves, Real Madrid, Celta Vigo, Mallorca, Sevilla, Osasuna, Athletic Club, Valencia, Real Sociedad, Tenerife, Unionistas and Villarreal.

The draw for the next round will be held today and 18:30 CET.

A star-studded Barcelona were troubled

While there were notable absentees from the Barcelona playing XI that took the field against Barbastro last night, the Blaugrana still had plenty of firepower to crack open the opponent’s door.

Barcelona approached the first half of the match with utmost seriousness. They displayed a strong emphasis on defence and showcased intensity in the midfield, relentlessly pressing from the very beginning.

Suffering a defeat in Barbastro would have been disastrous, with potentially severe consequences, but Barcelona made sure they carried the moment throughout the half. 

By the stroke of 51 minutes, Barcelona had established a 2-0 lead and while Barbastro did pull one back, Robert Lewandowski’s late penalty sealed the game.

With the victory, Barcelona will now face either of the aforementioned teams, 14 of which are from La Liga itself. Interestingly enough, the likes of Real Sociedad, Valencia, Osasuna, Sevilla, Getafe and Alaves all registered narrow wins in the previous round of the competition, winning by a single-goal margin.

With the draws now scheduled for the evening, it will be interesting to see which team the Catalans face.