Barcelona needed late strikes from Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford to see off third-division Guadalajara 2-0 on Tuesday in the Copa del Rey round of 32, in a match disrupted by a delayed kickoff caused by issues with the stadium’s temporary grandstand.
The game started 30 minutes late after local authorities initially barred supporters from entering the newly built stand at the Pedro Escartín stadium in Guadalajara, near Madrid. Fans waited in long lines outside before police eventually allowed them inside.
The addition of the temporary structure boosted the stadium’s capacity from nearly 6,000 to about 8,000.
Barcelona controlled the match from the start but struggled to create clear scoring chances against its lower-tier opponent.
Christensen broke the deadlock in the 76th minute with a header off a cross from Frenkie de Jong. The header deflected off a defender before finding the net.
The hosts had a few chances to equalize but could not capitalize, and Rashford sealed the victory on a breakaway in the 90th minute.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick rested some regular starters ahead of the Spanish league leaders’ visit to third-place Villarreal on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who underwent back surgery in the offseason, returned to the starting lineup after 212 days.
Defender Pau Cubarsi, 18, made his 100th appearance for Barcelona. He made his first-team debut in a Copa match in January 2024.
“These are tricky matches,” Cubarsi said. “They come out with full force, and we have to match that intensity. They did a great job, but we deserved it. We had more rhythm and more chances in the second half. As time passed, they started to get tired.”
In the upset of the night, second-division Deportivo La Coruna eliminated top-flight Mallorca 1-0.
The other first-division clubs advanced. Real Sociedad defeated Eldense 2-1 with a winner deep into stoppage time, while Valencia beat Sporting Gijon 2-0.
On Wednesday, Real Madrid visits third-division club Talavera, while Atletico Madrid travels to face fourth-tier Atletico Baleares.
