Barcelona beat Guadalajara in Copa del Rey fourth round

Barcelona beat Guadalajara in Copa del Rey fourth roundA 90th minute goal by Marcus Rashford ensured defending champions Barcelona held off Copa del Rey minnows Guadalajara.Published On 17 Dec 2025Late strikes from Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory for Barcelona against third-tier side Guadalajara on Tuesday, sending the Catalans through to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.Barcelona laboured for much of the match at the Pedro Escartin stadium, holding more than 80% of possession but struggling to break down a disciplined five-man Guadalajara defence.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Knicks ride 4th-quarter surge past Spurs to win NBA Cup finallist 2 of 4Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua: All to know before their heavyweight boxing fightlist 3 of 4PSG vs Flamengo: All to know about FIFA Intercontinental Cup final in Qatarlist 4 of 4AFCON 2025: Full match schedule before Africa’s showcase football spectacleend of listThe home side posed a constant threat on the counterattack and frustrated the European heavyweights for long stretches.Barcelona coach Hansi Flick introduced regular starters Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Jules Kounde, and Pedri from the bench in the second half, seeking a breakthrough.The changes finally paid dividends in the 77th minute when Frenkie de Jong whipped in a cross from the right, and defender Christensen rose highest to meet the delivery, with his header deflecting off Guadalajara’s Julio Martinez before nestling in the net.The hosts nearly produced an immediate response, with Salifo Caropitche unleashing a fierce drive from distance, but Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen – who was playing his first game for Barca since May – reacted superbly to tip the effort over the bar, preserving his side’s slender lead.Guadalajara’s hopes were extinguished in the dying moments when Lamine Yamal played a sublime through-ball into the path of Rashford.The English forward showed great composure, wrong-footing keeper Dani Vicente with a quick cut to his left before tapping the ball into the empty net to wrap up the result for Barcelona.