Inma Lidón
Updated Thursday, January 25, 2024-00:25
3-2 in Son Moix A great Mallorca erases the smile of Girona
Copa del Rey Quarterfinals
Barça likes to flirt with hell and the
Williamses
became the boatmen who helped them cross to the underworld.
Athletic's energy, embodied in the pressure of the young
Jauregizar
, the strength of
Villalibre
and the devilish speed and hunger of Iñaki and Nico, led them to their fifth consecutive semifinal of a Cup that always brushes but never catches.
[Narrative and statistics (4-2)]
He once again shook off the Blaugrana, capable of descending one circle after another of hell without abandoning the hope of returning to the world of the living.
The resurrection as an incentive for Xavi Hernández
's team
.
He does not always achieve it even by clinging to the epic as a powerful activator of illusions.
It is true that if it is triggered by one of the beardless geniuses raised at La Masía, the effect is multiplied.
Although it doesn't last forever.
This pyrotechnic Barça has become accustomed to suffering to win duels that they themselves complicate without breaking a sweat.
More than a dozen times they have needed comebacks to correct a mistake in the first minute of play.
That happened to him in San Mamés, decorated and vibrant.
A chain of defensive errors caused Guruzeta to score the first goal at 36 seconds.
He had just started the ball when Nico already showed his teeth to
Koundé
,
Sancet feinted alone at the penalty spot and
Ares
appeared at the far post
so that, without
Christensen
being able to prevent it, the forward appeared and beat Peña.
Even with blemishes, Barça lost and was once again in trouble with a cross that Guruzeta did not catch.
involuntary wall
It was obvious where Athletic was going to do damage, with Nico's explosiveness, but
Valverde did not manage to make his team grow, even with the second post for the Blaugrana, which was
Balde
's injury
, forcing Xavi to line up again.
Hèctor Fort
, another teenager in his eleven.
As if a gong had rung, the culé reaction came.
Christensen saw Ferran
's run
on the left bank, broke, looked for
Pedri
who ran into
Paredes
at the control and the rebound was transformed by
Yuri
into a wall for
Lewandowski
, who did not miss.
26 minutes and stumbles, but they were in the game.
The power of the epic is multiplied by the heroes.
The one from Athletic would take a while to appear and Barça has him in another puberty.
At 16 years old,
Lamine Yamal
rescued the team.
Koundé threw it close to the right wing, he looked for an area without anyone coming forward and, when he was going to crash against the wall, he unleashed a left foot shot that
Agirrezabala
didn't even see .
Nico, before Fort
Athletic reacted and forced
Peña
to take out a feline hand while Nico changed bands to seek Fort's tickling.
The opportunity came after the break.
Without fear, Valverde added more gunpowder with
Unai Gómez
and left Barça without the ball for 10 minutes, until they found the tie.
Yuri escaped, leaning on Nico who put a telegraphed cross for Sancet's header that beat Peña.
The entire culé midfield became transparent in the absence of the ball.
De Jong, Guiu and Sergi Roberto regret a missed opportunity.AP
The red and white obstacles did not stop even when Lewandowski saw Yamal behind the defense.
His devilish race to face the local goal made the stands hold their breath, relieved when he crossed his shot too far.
The duel opened up, because the lions dominated it, but neither Nico's shot from the front nor Sancet's bitten shot gave them an advantage.
With Barça disoriented, something that the missing
Joao Félix
did not fix , Yamal was the only hope to avoid extra time.
Barça trusted in his magic, forgetting that maturity usually involves mistakes.
He had the mischief to steal the ball from Paredes and face Agirrezabala, but again he crossed his right hand too much.
It was the 88th minute and added time was already looming.
With more courage and more faith, Athletic wanted this Cup more and first Iñaki and then Nico, the Williams, gave it to them.