Barcelona kicked off their 2025-26 Copa del Rey campaign with a 2-0 victory over third-division side CD Guadalajara in the round of 32 on Tuesday evening, advancing to the next stage but far from convincing in their title defense.
The reigning champions, who lifted the trophy last season after a dramatic extra-time win over Real Madrid, traveled to the modest Estadio Pedro Escartín facing a motivated lower-league opponent eager to cause an upset.
Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Hansi Flick’s side struggled to break down a resilient Guadalajara defense for much of the match, going into halftime scoreless.The breakthrough finally came in the 76th minute when defender Andreas Christensen rose highest to head home from a Frenkie de Jong assist, easing the tension for the visitors.
Barcelona sealed the win in the dying moments as substitute Marcus Rashford (90th minute), assisted by Lamine Yamal, fired a precise left-footed shot into the top corner to make it 2-0.Guadalajara, playing in front of a passionate home crowd, defended valiantly and threatened on occasional counter-attacks but lacked the quality to seriously trouble Barcelona’s backline.
The Blaugrana now await the draw for the round of 16, as they continue their pursuit of a record-extending 33rd Copa del Rey title.
