Result: Cornella 0-2 FC Barcelona
Date: 21 January 2021
Venue: Campo Nuevo Municipal de Cornella
FC Barcelona booked their spot in the Copa del Rey round of 16 after defeating third-tier side Cornella 2-0 in extra-time on Thursday evening.
Lionel Messi missed out due to suspension while Frenkie de Jong and Jordi Alba were reste. Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann was joined in the attack by Martin Braithwaite and Riqui Puig.
Francisco Trincao came the closest to breaking the deadlock for Ronald Koeman's charges just after the half-hour mark with left-footed half-volley that took a deflection on its way towards goal but shot stopper Ramon Juan made a great save.
The Catalan giants had a wonderful chance to go ahead with seven minutes left of the first stanza after they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Ronald Araujo inside the box but Miralem Pjanic's strike was saved by Juan and the first stanza ended goalless.
The Catalan giants were kept at bay once again by the briliance of Juan, who denied Braithwaite and Griezmann inside the first ten minutes in the second stanza.
Koeman's men were given another lifeline with another penalty in the last 12 minutes after Clement Lenglet was fouled in the box, but Ousmane Dembele saw his spot-kick saved by Juan..
Pjanic came close to to snatching the winner for Barca in the last two minutes with a swerving strike from the edge of the box that was parried away by Juan in the top corner and the sides could not be separated in regulation time after a goalless draw and they went to extra-time.
Dembele finally got the breakthrough for Blaugrana in the second minute of extra-time after he drilled a powerful shot that Juan could only push onto the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Braithwaite got the second goal for Blaugrana in stoppage time with a tap-in after a square pass by Pedri, as they sealed a 2-0 and a spot in the alst 16.
