FC Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Racing Santander on Thursday night. FC Barcelona, missing key players Pedri, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski, struggled to break down a compact Racing defense in the first half.

The breakthrough came in the 65th minute when Ferran Torres finished a precise pass from Fermin Lopez to give FC Barcelona the lead. Racing’s goalkeeper, Jokin Ezkieta, made several key saves, keeping the scoreline respectable until the final minutes.

Despite late pressure from Racing, including two offside goals by loanee Manex Lozano and a critical save from Joan Garcia, FC Barcelona held firm. Lamine Yamal sealed the victory in the final minute, finishing a swift counter-attack as Racing’s players were caught high up the pitch.

Barcelona and Valencia shine

Elsewhere in the Copa del Rey, Valencia lifted spirits in their La Liga campaign with a 2-0 win at second-tier Burgos. Ruben Iranzo opened the scoring with a header from a corner, and new signing Umar Sadiq doubled the lead three minutes into the second half, extinguishing Burgos’ hopes.

FC Barcelona and Valencia now join Athletic Club, Atletico Madrid, Deportivo Alaves, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, and Albacete in Monday’s quarterfinal draw. Notably, second-tier Albacete caused the tournament’s biggest upset by defeating Real Madrid 3-2 at home on Wednesday. [Xinhua]