Substitute Alex Berenguer ended Athletic Bilbao’s 40-year wait for Copa del Rey glory with the decisive penalty in a shoot-out victory over Real Mallorca.

Raul Garcia, Iker Muniain, Mikel Vesga and Berenguer, who were all introduced from the bench, scored from the spot as keeper Julen Agirrezabala saved from Manu Morianes and Nemanja Radonjic blazed over to hand the Basque club the trophy they last win as part of a league and cup double in 1984.

Oihan Sancet’s 50th-minute strike had earlier cancelled out Dani Rodriguez’s first-half opener at the Estadio Olimpico de la Cartuja in Seville, but neither team could find a winner in 120 minutes of football.

Nico Williams served early warning of Bilbao’s intent with a first-minute shot and Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif had to save from Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta as they built up a head of steam.

Agirrezabala denied Vedat Muriqi and Copete in quick succession as Mallorca responded, but he was finally beaten with 21 minutes gone.

His defenders failed to clear Antonio Raillo’s corner, despite having several chances to do so, and Rodriguez pounced to smash home the opening goal from 16 yards.

Raillo headed wide from a tight angle as his side pushed for a second, but Sancet and Gorka Guruzeta both went close to an equaliser, but not as close as Williams in first-half stoppage time, in an even contest.

Mallorca, who beat Real Sociedad on penalties to reach the final, returned knowing they could be just 45 minutes from glory, but equally aware the job was nowhere near done.

Cyle Larin forced a save from Agirrezabala within seconds of the restart, but Bilbao were back in it with 50 minutes gone when Williams slid Sancet in and he fired emphatically past Greif.

Sancet and Williams both took aim from distance and Greif had to keep out headers from Inaki Williams and Guruzeta with Athletic in menacing mood.

Yuri Berchiche called upon Greif with 12 minutes remaining, but there was no separating the sides and extra time was required.

Muniain sent a 102nd-minute free-kick just wide and Agirrezabala kept out Muriqi’s header with seven minutes remaining, but ultimately it came down to penalties.

Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi has ramped up the pressure on Athletic Bilbao ahead of the Copa del Rey final by suggesting expectation may be too much for the Basque club.

Discounting the Spanish Super Cup, Bilbao have not won a trophy since a league and cup double in 1984.

Since then they have lost all six finals they have reached, during which time Mallorca won their maiden Copa del Rey in 2003.

“They have more experience in this game but they haven’t won in 40 years and they are favourites – but they have too much pressure. More than us,” Muriqi told Cadena SER.

“We can use it to our advantage and if we start the game well, we will have our chances.

“All players dream of winning a final. Physically we are not doing anything special but mentally I think that you have to prepare it a little differently.

“I have experience and I know how I have to handle it. I will handle it like a normal day. Everyone has to prepare themselves, it’s not up to the coach.”

Nevertheless, the Kosovo international believes experienced boss Javier Aguirre can make a difference.

“When I look to the sideline and I see Javier Aguirre there, I feel like we have another player,” he added.

“He has that experience and knows how to talk to the referee, how to motivate, how to demotivate. We are lucky to have this coach.”

Bilbao have an experienced coach of their own in Ernesto Valverde, who masterminded a quarter-final win over his former side Barcelona before beating Atletico Madrid to reach the final.

Defender Oscar de Marcos believes the game in Seville is a chance for the team to write their names into the club’s history books.

“I’m thinking about many former team-mates who have been here before,” he told a press conference.

“Some never made it to the final, others got this far, some with me, and we never took that last step.

“They lived through much more challenging situations so that we can enjoy this Copa final.

“We’re all just passing through this club and trying to leave our own legacy.”

Athletic Bilbao swept past Atletico Madrid 3-0 at Estadio San Mames to seal their place in the Copa del Rey final.

Leading 1-0 from the opening leg, first-half goals from brothers Nico and Inaki Williams put the hosts in control of the tie.

Gorka Guruzeta swept in a third on the hour as Athletic secured a final date with Real Mallorca.

The visitors created an early opening when Samuel Lino’s effort was straight at Bilbao keeper Julen Agirrezabala.

Bilbao broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Nico Williams got to the left goalline and chipped a lofted cross back through the penalty area and his brother Inaki crashed home a volley.

The Williams brothers soon combined again, this time Inaki fed Nico on the wing and his shot flew narrowly wide of the right post.

Atletico pushed for a response as Angel Correa fired over the crossbar after being picked out by Alvaro Morata’s pass.

There was a brief stoppage in play around the 35th minute as a spectator needed medical treatment in the stands, but the game soon resumed.

Bilbao doubled their lead in the 42nd minute when Inaki Williams was played clear down the right and held off Atletico defender Mario Hermoso before cutting the ball back for Nico to stab in from close range.

The start of the second half saw another delay for a different fan in the record crowd of 52,061 packed into the Cathedral to receive medical assistance, eventually being carried away on a stretcher.

Athletic Bilbao later confirmed the person had been struggling to breathe, but was stabilised and taken to hospital.

When the action restarted, Nico Williams was soon involved again to send Oihan Sancet clear on goal, but his shot was fired well over the crossbar.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone tried to spark some life into his side with a triple change after 54 minutes, with Memphis Depay, Reinildo Mandava and Pablo Barrios sent on to replace Nahuel Molina, Hermoso and Correa.

Any hopes of a comeback, though, were ended in the 61st minute when Guruzeta knocked in a rebound after Sancet’s angled effort had been pushed out by Madrid keeper Jan Oblak.

Depay’s angled free-kick was acrobatically saved by Agirrezabala before Saul Niguez headed wide as Bilbao saw out the closing stages to reach the Copa del Rey final at La Cartuja for the first time since 2021.

Substitute Sergi Darder fired Real Mallorca into the Copa del Rey final in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Real Sociedad.

The visitors scored all five of their spot-kicks after Mikel Oyarzabal had missed with the hosts’ first attempt to book a showdown with either Athletic Bilbao or Atletico Madrid, who meet on Thursday at the San Mames Stadium with Bilbao defending a 1-0 first leg lead.

Mallorca, who sit in 16th place in LaLiga, had taken the lead at the Reale Arena through Giovanni Gonzalez’s header after keeper Dominik Greif had saved Brais Mendez’s penalty but Oyarzabal made it 1-1 to take the tie into extra time, only to be found wanting from 12 yards.

Mikel Merino, whose late strike sealed a 2-1 league win at Mallorca earlier this month, failed to repeat the dose when he fired high and wide with eight minutes gone, but Dani Rodriguez was no more accurate at the other end five minutes later.

Arsen Zakharyan forced a save from distance as the home side pushed for a breakthrough, but Abdon Prats went close for the visitors six minutes before the break.

However, seventh-placed Sociedad were presented with a golden opportunity to open the scoring at the end of the first half when Antonio Raillo was adjudged to have handled in the area, only for Greif to save Mendez’s spot-kick.

It was the visitors who took the lead five minutes after the restart when Gonzalez headed home from Jaume Costa’s cross.

The goal prompted something of an onslaught from the hosts which finally paid dividends with 19 minutes remaining when Oyarzabal equalised from Mendez’s through-ball.

Fellow substitute Sheraldo Becker almost won it for Imanol Alguacil’s men with 10 minutes left on the clock, but neither side could find a winner as time ran down.

The home side created the better chances in extra time, with Greif saving from Becker and substitute Umar Sadiq, but the teams could not be separated and penalties were required.

Oyarzabal was unable to convert the opening spot-kick in the shoot-out and with Vedat Muriqi, Manu Marlanes, Omar Mascarell, Nemanja Radonjic and Darder all successful for Mallorca, they ran out 5-4 winners.

Alejandro Berenguer slammed home a first-half penalty as Athletic Bilbao claimed a 1-0 first-leg lead over Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Berenguer scored the winner from 12 yards in the 25th minute after Benat Prados was brought down inside the box.

Atletico banged on the door in the second half to avoid taking a defeat into the return leg and missed chances through Antoine Griezmann, Samuel Lino and Alvaro Morata.

The hosts thought they had a last-minute penalty but a VAR offside call denied them.

Bilbao were awarded a spot-kick after Reinildo Mandava clattered into Prados in the area and Berenguer dispatched into the bottom corner, sending Jan Oblak the wrong way.

Atletico struggled to make an impression for much of the first period and had a first sniff of an equaliser five minutes later when the ball fell for Lino outside the area but he curled over the crossbar.

There was a slight moment of panic in the 35th minute as goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala attempted to keep the ball in play but had his pocket picked by Memphis Depay on the byline, but his shot on goal was heroically blocked by Aitor Paredes.

Atletico ended the half the more dangerous of the two sides and Griezmann was next to come close when his first-time effort flew just wide of the near post.

Bilbao had a glorious chance to double their advantage after the break as Unai Gomez’s effort was parried by Oblak into the path of Asier Villalibre but he could only divert the rebound into the side-netting.

Chances began to fall at either end and this time Lino decided to let rip from the left edge but he curled just wide of the post.

Atletico’s eagerness to not take a loss away to Bilbao became a lot more evident as they began to commit players up the pitch, with Griezmann next to come close when his effort from six yards was blocked behind by Agirrezabala again.

Atletico spurned another golden chance to equalise when Morata failed to divert a dangerous whipped cross on target.

Agirrezabala was beaten for the first time in the match when Angel Correa smashed past him inside the box but Bilbao defender Inigo Lekue was waiting behind the keeper to clear the ball off the line and keep the clean sheet intact.

Atletico thought they were given a last-gasp chance to equalise when referee Alejandro Hernandez pointed to the spot after Dani Vivian tripped Morata inside the box but the VAR adjudged the striker to be offside in the build-up.

Madrid had yet another chance in stoppage time but Morata could only glance a header from close range wide.

Mallorca and Real Sociedad’s Copa del Rey semi-final remains finely poised after a goalless first leg.

LaLiga strugglers Mallorca will be the happier of the two despite being the home side as they failed to register a shot on target against their Champions League opposition.

Imanol Alguacil will be hoping the visitors do not live to regret their stalemate at the Estadi Son Moix when they host the second leg on February 27.

The first half was a forgettable affair as neither side really created an opening that was deserving of breaking the deadlock.

Sociedad should have bagged an away goal but Umar Sadiq missed a golden opportunity to finish from close range.

Abdon Prats shot wide with the hosts’ best chance of the game but there was little for the home fans to shout about as they hoped to upset the odds.

With a number of LaLiga’s big hitters already eliminated, these two will fancy their chances at a rare glimpse of silverware.

Mallorca have won the Copa del Rey just once in their history – back in 2003 – while Sociedad have lifted it on only two occasions, the latter of which came with a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in 2020.

That final could yet be repeated this season with Bilbao facing Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final.

While Mallorca now travel to Sociedad following this stalemate, the pair clash before that in a LaLiga fixture back at the Son Moix on February 18.

Athletic Bilbao’s Williams brothers both scored in extra-time as Barcelona endured more Copa del Rey misery at the San Mames in a 4-2 humbling in their quarter-final.

Inaki came off the bench to put the hosts ahead right at the end of the first additional period before Nico, eight years his junior at 21, applied the finishing touch with the last kick of the game.

The Catalans’ previous two visits in the competition in 2020 and 2022 both ended in defeat and when Inaki Williams reacted brilliantly to a huge stroke of luck by converting his own shot which rebounded off a post, history repeated itself.

It was no less than they deserved after stunning Barca by taking the lead after just 36 seconds through Gorka Guruzeta.

The visitors turned things around with goals from Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal in a six-minute spell midway through the first half but they never looked comfortable and Oihan Sanchet’s equaliser – from a sublime Nico Williams cross – just after the interval paved the way for former Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde’s side to win the game over 120 minutes.

This was the 46th Copa match between the two teams, who have won the trophy a combined 54 times, and it turned into an occasion befitting that history as Bilbao delivered some payback for the four defeats by Barca in the six finals they have reached since their last Copa triumph in 1984.

Guruzeta’s goal – the third time this season Barcelona have conceded in the first minute – was a scrappy affair with Sancet’s knockdown headed back by the diving Malcom Adu Ares for Sancet to help it on to his team-mate to fire home.

Guruzeta’s volley on the run went marginally wide before, after losing left-back Alejandro Balde to a hamstring injury, the visitors struck back with Lewandowski’s 13th of the season.

Pedri tried to get on the end of Ferran Torres’ left-wing cross and the loose ball fell to defender Yuri Berchiche, who hammered a clearance against Lewandowski who pounced to equalise.

When Yamal cut in from the right on his left foot to drill a low shot inside the far post Barcelona appeared to be in control but just four minutes after half-time Nico Williams’ deep cross to the far post was headed down and in by Sancet.

Yamal could have twice restored the visitors’ lead; first he was sent clear by Lewandowski but although he dinked it past goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala his shot went wide.

Four minutes from time he blazed wide after robbing Aitor Paredes 35 yards out as he received a pass from his goalkeeper and with Lewandowski now subbed off Bilbao sensed their chance.

In the final minute of the first half of extra-time Inaki Williams fired against the far post but a lucky rebound behind the goalkeeper gave him a second chance and he stabbed home.

He then inadvertently provided his brother with an assist when his miscontrol saw Nico Williams score arguably the best goal of the night, a curling effort with the outside of his right foot.

Girona were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the quarter-finals as the LaLiga leaders fell to a 3-2 defeat at 10-man Real Mallorca.

The hosts took the lead in the 21st minute when Cyle Larin finished from close range having been teed up by Dani Rodriguez.

Mallorca’s advantage was then doubled seven minutes later by a wonder strike from Abdon Prats, who lashed the ball past Juan Carlos from around 25 yards out.

And Javier Aguirre’s side had a third another seven minutes on from that, Prats again the scorer as he converted a penalty following an Antal Yaakobishvili handball.

Girona pulled a goal back midway through the second half when Cristhian Stuani scored a spot-kick awarded after he was fouled by Antonio Raillo, who was given a second yellow card and his marching orders.

As Michel’s visitors looked to continue the fightback, they reduced the deficit further via a Savio finish in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but a last-gasp equaliser proved beyond them.

Barcelona boss Xavi has urged his side to remain “focused” ahead of their Copa del Rey quarter-final clash against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

The sides have history in the competition after Barca beat Athletic 4-0 in the 2021 final, but they were knocked out by Athletic the following year in the last 16.

Barca reached this stage of the competition after overcoming a scare from Unionistas in the last 16, where they came from behind to beat the third-tier team 3-1.

They now face a tough task against Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic side, who beat Alaves 2-0 to secure their spot in the last eight.

https://twitter.com/Athletic_en/status/1749453223318945996v

Athletic are in great form this season, sitting just three points behind Barcelona in the LaLiga table, and have won six of their last seven games in all competitions, with the only blip being a 1-0 loss to Valencia on Saturday.

“(The game is) very important and we have to go into the game completely focused,” Xavi told a pre-match press conference.

“Athletic are an aggressive side and they will pressure us a lot.

“They have a great coach and international players who are in excellent form such as Nico Williams, (Oihan) Sancet and (Inigo Ruiz) De Galarreta.

“Also, they have a stadium and fans that make a lot of noise and gets behind them. It will be a tough game and we will have to compete.”

Barcelona have been handed a boost, with Joao Cancelo returning to the squad following his recovery from a knee injury, while Andreas Christensen is also back after missing the Real Betis victory on Sunday with a foot problem.

Xavi also praised the contribution of youth players from La Masia in recent games and Sunday’s clash against Betis saw spots in the starting line-up handed to then-16-year-old duo Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi.

He added: “We have a lot of confidence in them and they are showing great character. It’s a production line of players who can establish themselves in the first team.”

Atletico Madrid dumped Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey on Thursday night, beating their city rivals 4-2 after extra-time at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Samuel Lino and Alvaro Morata twice had Los Colchoneros ahead, with Real  replying with a Jan Oblak own goal and Joselu header.

However, Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo Riquelme netted for Atletico in the extra 30 minutes, taking Diego Simeone’s team into the quarter-finals as they seek to win the competition for the first time since 2013.

Jude Bellingham had a shot blocked for holders Real in the 11th minute, then team-mate Vinicius Junior was denied by Oblak nine minutes later.

Rodrigo De Paul saw his header saved at the other end two minutes later, before seeing a shot blocked soon after.

Former Real striker Morata had a 26th-minute shot saved by Andriy Lunin and then Vinicius shot over six minutes later.

The deadlock was broken six minutes before the interval when Lino slid in to convert from six yards after reacting smartly to Antonio Rudiger’s misplaced header.

However, the defending champions were level in the first minute of first-half added-time when Oblak turned the ball into his own goal as he attempted to deal with Luka Modric’s inswinging free-kick, under pressure from Vinicius.

Atleti regained their advantage in the 57th minute, Morata tapping in after Rudiger and Lunin had failed to deal with a ball which deflected goalwards off Eduardo Camavinga. The former Chelsea man was booked for celebrating the breakthrough with the Atletico fans behind the goal.

Rodrygo had a shot blocked 15 minutes from time as the 20-time winners sought an equaliser, which they got soon after Morata had been brilliantly denied by Lunin in the 81st minute.

Real broke away and Vinicius played in Bellingham, who crossed for Joselu to head in from six yards – less than two minutes after coming on as a replacement for Rodrygo. The goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check for offside.

The closing stages of the 90 minutes were more memorable for yellow cards than chances but Vinicius came close to an added-time winner with an audacious flick from Rudiger’s ball to the far post.

Griezmann gave Atletico the lead for the third time with his 175th goal for the club, 10 minutes into extra-time.

The 32-year-old France international, who last week became the club’s all-time record goalscorer with his goal in the Spanish Super Cup loss to the same opponents, beat Vinicius to the ball and held off the Brazilian before cutting inside and firing left-footed over Lunin.

Bellingham was denied by Oblak, then Dani Ceballos tapped in with nine minutes remaining after the keeper had spilled Bellingham’s shot. However, VAR ruled the effort out with the England man in an offside position.

Doubts about the outcome were ended in the final minute of extra-time when Memphis Depay set up fellow substitute Riquelme for Atletico’s fourth.

Barcelona came from behind to beat Unionistas da Salamanca 3-1 and reach the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

The third-tier team threatened an upset when Alvaro Gomez’s first-half goal gave them the lead.

However, Ferran Torres levelled in the closing seconds of the first half, before Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde netted in the space of four second-half minutes to complete the turnaround.

Unionistas were quickly on the front foot at Campo de Futbol Reina Sofia and Mario Losada shot wide in the first minute.

Marc Guiu had a shot blocked for the visitors, 31-time winners of the competition, before bringing a good save out of home goalkeeper Ivan Martinez.

Torres responded with a shot for the visitors on the half hour which fell just wide but Barca were behind five minutes later when Gomez volleyed a cross past goalkeeper Inaki Pena at the back post.

In the first minute of added time at the end of the first half, the visitors levelled when Torres’ shot had too much power for Martinez to keep out.

Defender Pau Cubarsi, 16, replaced Andreas Christensen at half-time for Barca, who also brought on Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri and Robert Lewandowski just past the hour mark as they sought the go-ahead goal.

After Lewandowski had brought a save out of Martinez, they got it when Kounde found the net with a well-struck 25-yard effort.

And in the 73rd minute it was 3-1 in similarly impressive fashion when Spain international Alejandro Balde shot powerfully home from distance.

Frenkie de Jong, playing his 200th game for the club, was on the pitch at the final whistle as Barca saw out the closing stages comfortably to ensure their place in the last eight.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has warned his side face a tougher test on Thursday when they play arch-rivals Atletico for the second time in eight days.

The two Spanish giants go head-to-head in the Copa del Rey’s last 16 at the Metropolitano Stadium with Atleti seeking revenge after last week’s thrilling Spanish Super Cup semi-final defeat to Real in Saudi Arabia.

Ancelotti’s side scored twice in extra time in Riyadh to edge it 5-3 – they beat Barcelona 4-1 in Sunday’s final – but the Italian expects Diego Simeone’s Atleti to thrive in front of their own fans.

“The (Atleti) team is good,” Ancelotti told a press conference. “We’ve got another very difficult game.

“Atletico are a top opponent and they showed that in the Super Cup; the match was very even.

“We’re expecting it to be even more difficult (on Thursday) because they’re at home and they’re doing very well there.”

Atleti have won nine and drawn one of their 10 home games in LaLiga this season and are unbeaten at the Metropolitano Stadium since a 1-0 league defeat to Barcelona in January 2023.

Real’s last visit there ended in a 3-1 LaLiga defeat in September, while Atleti refused to give their city rivals a traditional guard of honour after Los Blancos had sealed the league title with four games remaining in 2022.

Whether Simeone’s side afford Real the honour after their Spanish Super Cup success remains to be seen and Ancelotti commented: “I respect the decisions of every club.

“I think it’s perfectly fine whether they do it or not. I don’t attach much importance to this.”

Ancelotti has no new injury worries, but is still without Lucas Vazquez (thigh), while Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Eder Militao are working their way back from serious knee injuries.

“The whole team is available apart from Lucas Vazquez and the three with cruciate injuries. I’m going to put the best possible team out. If the team recovers well, everyone is available,” Ancelotti added.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries and we’ve stuck it out because the squad is very strong. There is a great deal of competition in training sessions and they’re very intense. This allows us to be in good physical condition.”

Barcelona manager Xavi maintains his side are “closer to success than defeat” as they look to avoid an upset in their Copa del Rey last-16 tie at third-tier Unionistas.

A 4-1 defeat by rivals Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday further increased the pressure on Xavi and his squad.

Bara president Joan Laporta and other members of the board visited the training ground on Wednesday in an attempt to lift spirits in the camp.

Unionistas, the only non-professional team left in the tournament, secured a place in the last 16 with a penalty shootout win over Villarreal, the initial tie having been suspended following a floodlight failure and finished the following day.

The trip to Salamanca is set to further test Barca’s ambitions, but Xavi insists there is plenty left for the team to play for this season, both domestically and in Europe.

“I am here because I have achieved certain targets. When I joined they told me the goal was to finish fourth and we finished second,” Xavi said at a press conference.

“Last season the goal was to win the league – and we did that and also won the Super Cup, surpassing expectations.

“The goal this year was to win trophies and we are halfway through the season and the three most important ones are all still to play for. We are closer to success than defeat.”

Barcelona will be without defender Ronald Araujo following his dismissal against Real, while teenage forward Lamine Yamal is suspended following a red card in the Youth Copa del Rey last year against Malaga.

After seeing his side taken apart at the back by Real, with Vinicius Junior scoring a first-half hat-trick, Xavi knows his side have to tighten up.

“We have to improve in defence. We can’t let in so many goals or make things easy for the opposition,” he said.

Xavi is expecting a hot reception at the Estadio Municipal Reina Sofia as they look to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.

“They are good in the air, play direct football and have very clear ideas,” he said. “It won’t be an easy place to go – for them it is the biggest game of their lives.”

Unionistas play in the Primera Federacion alongside Barcelona’s reserve team, running out 2-0 winners against Rafael Marquez’s side at the Estadi Johan Cruyff earlier in January.

Manager Dani Ponz knows his men will be underdogs on Thursday night but is relishing the contest against one of Spain’s giants.

“We cannot be intimidated. It is impossible to stop a team like Barcelona, but we cannot fall into disbelief,” Ponz said at a press conference.

“We are going to continue playing the same way – always looking forward.”

Barcelona booked their place in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey despite an unconvincing display in a 3-2 victory over fourth-tier Barbastro.

Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski were on target for Xavi’s side in a match which also saw their opponents score twice through Adria de Mesa and Marc Prat.

LaLiga giants Barca lacked a cutting edge and presented chances to Barbastro in what turned out to be a hotly-contested tie.

Barca were camped in the attacking third before they took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.

The visitors won possession in midfield before Raphinha was found out wide. The Brazil winger stormed forward and picked out Lopez, who expertly scored with a first-time shot to give his side the advantage.

After 41 minutes the Spanish champions thought they had doubled their lead but Joao Felix’s effort was ruled offside.

Lopez turned creator and floated a ball on to the head of the potent Felix, who nodded his effort past Arnau Fabrega. The Portugal international appeared to have perfectly timed his run but Barca were denied the chance to add another.

The Catalan side strengthened their position in the 51st minute through Raphinha.

Seventeen-year-old full-back Hector Fort cut inside and sent a dipped ball to the back post where the former Leeds winger evaded his marker and volleyed home to make it 2-0.

But on the hour Barbastro scored an unlikely goal to halve the deficit.

The hosts sent men forward for a corner and a whipped delivery into the area challenged Barca’s defenders, who failed to clear their lines. Barbastro striker De Mesa was alert and got on the end of the loose ball to grab one back.

Xavi turned to the bench and brought on Lewandowski. The Poland striker instantly had an impact, winning a header and forcing an error from the defender whose backwards pass to keeper Manas was intercepted by Ferran Torres.

But typical of Barca’s day, Torres failed to hold his nerve and a poor touch saw the opportunity go begging.

Lewandowski sealed the tie when he scored from the spot in the 88th minute.

After a clear handball in the box, the former Bayern Munich star hopped, skipped, jumped and sent Manu the wrong way as he rolled his effort into the bottom-right corner.

Prat also scored from the spot in added-time but it was too late and Barca sealed a 3-2 win.

Second-half goals from Joselu, Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo saw Real Madrid into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win over fourth-tier Arandina.

Although the final score looked comfortable, Madrid had to be patient against their lowly opponents, who were able to celebrate getting on the scoresheet with a late own goal from Nacho.

Unsurprisingly, Madrid dominated in every department but they had to wait for a 54th-minute penalty from Joselu to break the deadlock, with Diaz adding another just a minute later as Arandina’s resistance finally cracked.

Rodrygo then added a third in the first minute of stoppage time, but Madrid then blotted their copy book with the own goal allowing the hosts to celebrate before the end.

It was pretty much one-way traffic at El Montecillo throughout the night as Madrid enjoyed 78 per cent possession and had 15 attempts on goal to Arandina’s two.

But the hosts should still take credit for how difficult they made it for their illustrious opponents to score as they defended in numbers and made a series of blocks.

Arda Guler had already been the first to draw a save from Adrian Alvarez before then hitting a post with a free-kick in the 18th minute, but more often than not it was the Arandina defenders who got a foot in before Madrid’s attempts could find their way to goal.

But things changed eight minutes into the second half when Zazu fouled Diaz in the box, giving Joselu an opportunity from the spot that he did not pass up.

Arandina barely had time to gather their thoughts before Diaz doubled the lead, but it did not signal the opening of the floodgates.

A string of substitutions interrupted the flow of the game and allowed Arandina to regroup.

Madrid did have chances to add to their lead, but young Vinicius Tobias had a shot saved before Alvaro Rodriguez headed over from close range.

Having won the penalty and scored the second, Diaz then added an assist to his night’s achievements as he set up Rodrygo’s stoppage-time strike.

Arandina responded by going close through Kevin Manzano before Nacho put through his own net at the death.