Madrid: Barcelona’s reserves got the job done at the second attempt Wednesday, night leading the Catalan club to the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey with a 7-0 rout of third-division side Hercules.
After being held to a stunning 1-1 draw in the first leg, a hat-trick from Arda Turan helped the second-stringers to a comfortable victory at Camp Nou.
The defending champions got off to a slow start, but the game opened up after defender Lucas Digne got on the board with a shot from inside the area in the 37th minute.
Midfielder Ivan Rakitic added to the lead by converting a penalty just before half time, and Rafinha, Turan and Paco Alcacer scored in the second half. Alcacer’s goal was his first in a competitive match since joining Barcelona this season.
“We had to be patient,” Rakitic said. “After the first goal, everything was easier.”
Turan, Rakitic, Rafinha and Javier Mascherano were the only seasoned players starting against Hercules, which marked the team’s final game of the year. The Copa del Rey will resume in the first week of January.
With hat tricks by Luciano Vietto and Ben Yedder, Sevilla routed fourth-division club Formentera to advance 14-2 on aggregate.
Brazilian playmaker Paulo Henrique Ganso opened the scoring in Seville with his first goal since joining the club this season, and Pablo Sarabia netted twice in the one-sided match at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
“I’m happy that we finished the year this way,” Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli said after the game.
Reuters