Sport|FootballYamal scores as Barcelona beat Albacete to reach Copa del Rey semifinalsGoals by Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo ended second-division side’s fairytale run in the Spanish Cup.

Copa del Rey Quarterfinals: Barcelona Advances

On Tue, Feb 4, 2026, Barcelona secured a place in the Copa del Rey semifinals with a 2-1 victory against Albacete. Despite a late challenge from their second-tier opponents, Barcelona maintained their pursuit of defending the title they won last year.

Lamine Yamal opened the scoring with a 39th-minute goal, followed by a second-half header from captain Ronald Araujo, marking his return to the team after a mental health break. Albacete responded with a goal by Javier Moreno in the 87th minute, but their efforts to equalize were thwarted by Barcelona's defense in stoppage time.

Albacete, positioned 12th in the Spanish second division, had previously eliminated Celta Vigo and Real Madrid from the tournament. However, they fell behind in the quarterfinals following a strategic play involving Marcus Rashford and Frenkie de Jong, setting up Yamal's goal.

Barcelona's Marcus Rashford and Dani Olmo created several chances, with Olmo's volley deflected for a corner before Yamal's breakthrough. Araujo's header in the 56th minute further extended Barcelona's lead.

Albacete's Jefte Betancor, a key player in their prior matches, missed crucial opportunities to level the score, including a free header in the 73rd minute. Moreno's diving header in the 87th minute narrowed the gap, but Barcelona's defense held firm to secure the victory.

Other quarterfinal matches include Deportivo Alaves versus Real Sociedad and Valencia against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, with Atletico Madrid facing Real Betis on Thursday.

Barcelona aims to retain the Copa del Rey title, having defeated Real Madrid 3-2 in the previous year's final in Seville.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.