Alicante (Spain): Spanish giants FC Barcelona were given a huge fright by third-tier CF Intercity but ultimately prevailed 4-3 in their third-round Copa del Rey tie.
The side from Alicante fell behind Barca on three separate occasions on Wednesday night, but each time they fought back to force extra time, only for Barca to win the game with a deflected shot from Ansu Fati.
Things looked to be going to plan for Barca in the fourth minute, when Ronald Araujo, back after injury, powered home a header from a corner.
Intercity defended in depth in the first half, but switched to a 4-4-2 formation after the break and took the game to their rivals.
Oriol Soldevilla took advantage of some poor defending in the 59th minute to level following a corner, and although Ousmane Dembele put Barca back in front six minutes later, Soldevilla again equalized with a smart header.
Raphinha must have thought he had won the game for Barca, but with five minutes left to play, Soldevilla completed a remarkable hat-trick after a horrible mistake from Marcos Alonso to take the match to extra time.
Fati’s deflected shot finally won it for Barca as their rivals tired, but Intercity deserve plaudits for their display.
Atletico Madrid are also into the last 16 with a 2-0 win away to Oviedo, thanks to Marcos Llorente’s first-half goal and an 83rd-minute effort from 19-year-old Pablo Barros, reports Xinhua.
Sevilla put their poor league form behind them with a 5-0 win away to Linares. Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri scored a hat-trick, with Erik Lamela and an own goal helping to complete the rout.
Robert Navarro’s 33rd-minute goal was enough to give Real Sociedad a 1-0 win away to third-tier Logrones and book the 2020 winners a place in the last 16.
Mallorca needed extra time to win away to Pontevedra, with Abdon Prats putting them ahead in the 97th minute and Vedat Muriqi sealing the win soon afterwards.
Elsewhere, Alaves won 1-0 against Real Valladolid.
–IANS
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