Barcelona have booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, having seen off a brave AD Ceuta side on Thursday evening.
Barca had a difficult opening to the tie, having struggled to create any clear cut chances against their third tier opponents. They failed to have a shot on target in the opening 40 minutes, as they began to be frustrated. However, they did get the breakthrough just before half time as Raphinha’s curled effort snuck into the bottom corner.
Robert Lewandowski added a second early on in the second half, pouncing on a mistake in the Ceuta defence to grab his first Copa goal. The goal was Lewandowski’s first in the competition since his move to Spain last summer.
Substitute Ansu Fati added a third for Barca after 70 minutes, as the 20-year-old finishing after a driving run into the Ceuta box. Franck Kessie scored a fourth for Barca, which was second goal for the club. Raphinha’s cross was met by the Ivorian, who guided the ball into the net with his head.
Lewandowski added his second and Barca’s fifth just before the full time whistle, finishing beyond Ceuta keeper Tomas Mejias Osorio after a driving run from Eric Garcia.
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Despite their early resistance, Ceuta were no match for their La Liga counterparts. Xavi will be delighted with the second half performance of his side, and he will feel that they have a great chance of adding a second domestic cup trophy to their honours this season.
