Goalkeeper-led defense, Barça wins 2-0 away against the Segunda División leaders to reach the King’s Cup quarterfinals; Spanish forwards score.

At 4 AM Beijing time on January 16, during the King’s Cup round of 16, Barça traveled to face Segunda División leaders Racing Santander. The kickoff was delayed by a full 15 minutes because of stadium passage problems.

In the first half, Barça controlled the game but couldn’t find the net, with both sides scoreless at halftime; in the second half, Fermin assisted Ferran Torres’s solo goal to break the tie, and during added time, Raphinha assisted Yamal’s goal to secure the win.

In the end, Barça defeated Racing Santander 2-0 on the road and smoothly advanced to the King’s Cup quarterfinals!

Racing Santander vs Barça saw José Alberto López field a 4-4-2 formation with a starting lineup valued at €15.1 million;Flick deployed a 4-3-3 formation, with Rashford, Ferran, and Yamal forming the front three, Casado, Bernar (18 years old), and Olmo as midfielders, Vald, Martín, Kubasi, and Kondé in defense, and Joan García as goalkeeper, with a starting lineup valued at €640 million..

Although the value gap between the teams was huge, Barça’s win was not easy. In the first half, Barça had fewer shots on target than their opponents. Barça held 82% possession with 5 shots and 1 on target, while Racing Santander had 2 shots and 2 on target, ending the half 0-0. Early in the second half, Barça substituted Bernar for Fermin to boost offense. Barça’s possession dropped to 73%, but they managed 12 shots with 6 on target, while Racing Santander had 4 shots and 1 on target. Spanish forwards Ferran and Yamal helped Barça secure a 2-0 lead and the win, but the victory was still tight. Joan García is currently the strongest goalkeeper in La Liga, confidently saving one-on-one chances. Despite some defensive errors from Barça, Joan García’s outstanding performance kept a clean sheet against the Segunda División leaders, ensuring Barça’s smooth passage to the King’s Cup quarterfinals!

After the match, Joan García earned a rating of 8.1, the highest on the field, clearly showing that Barça’s win was hard-fought, with the goalkeeper protecting the team.

Throughout the match,Barça had 77% possession with 17 shots, 7 on target; Racing Santander had 6 shots, 3 on target..