Barcelona showcased their dominance following a triumph over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, securing a convincing 5-1 victory against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey’s round of 16 on Wednesday.
Gavi and Jules Koundé got on the scoresheet early in the match within the first 30 minutes, while Raphinha, Ferran Torres, and the young talent Lamine Yamal added three more goals in the second half to elevate the Catalan team to a place in the quarterfinals.
This latest victory marks Barcelona’s fourth consecutive win in 2025, following their impressive 5-2 win against Madrid in Saudi Arabia that clinched the Spanish Super Cup title on Sunday.
“We aimed to carry over the momentum we built from the Super Cup in front of our home supporters,” stated Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí. “If we continue performing like this, we will keep pushing hard. The Christmas break rejuvenated us, and we returned refreshed.”
Prior to this impressive run, Barcelona faced two losses in 2024, but they rebounded by triumphing over Barbastro in the Copa del Rey and subsequently defeating Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid in the Super Cup.
In a dramatic turn of events, playmaker Dani Olmo was registered just before the deadline following a protracted dispute involving Barcelona, the Spanish league, and the federation, which stemmed from a deadline oversight by the club. He played a crucial role in setting up Gavi’s opening goal in the third minute at Montjuic stadium, while Yamal assisted Koundé’s goal in the 27th minute.
Koundé thought he had scored again just before half-time, but his goal was disallowed following a video review that confirmed he was offside. Yamal also had a goal disallowed by VAR early in the second half due to a similar infraction.
Barcelona’s third goal finally came through Raphinha, who netted during a breakaway in the 58th minute. Ferran Torres, making a mark shortly after being subbed in, scored in the 67th minute from close range, and Yamal capped off the scoring in the 75th minute following an excellent solo run.
Real Betis managed to get on the board when Vitor Roque converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute, marking the only goal for his team in the match.
In another fixture, Atletico Madrid extended their winning streak to a remarkable 15 matches with a commanding 4-0 victory over the second-division side, Elche, despite fielding a squad with several key players absent.
This remarkable streak sets a new club record, exceeding their previous best of 13 consecutive wins across all competitions. Alexander Sorloth opened the scoring early at the eighth minute and later converted a penalty in the 29th. Rodrigo Riquelme added a long-range goal in the 61st minute, while Julián Álvarez completed the rout in the 75th.
Elche faced an uphill battle after Nicolás Fernández was sent off with a second yellow card just before halftime, reducing them to ten men.
In other matchups, Álvaro Rodríguez scored just two minutes into the game, leading Getafe to a 1-0 win against fourth-division team Pontevedra, despite Rodríguez receiving a red card before the halftime whistle.
A late goal from Diego García propelled Leganes to a 3-2 victory over second-tier club Almeria. More thrilling action is expected in Thursday’s round-of-16 games, with defending champion Athletic Bilbao hosting Osasuna and Real Madrid set to clash with Celta Vigo.
