Barcelona Rely on Late Goals to Edge Past 3rd-Tier Guadalajara in Copa del Rey

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In a Copa del Rey match marked by a delayed kick-off due to issues with the stadium's temporary grandstand, Barcelona secured a narrow 2-0 victory over third-division club Guadalajara. The game began over 30 minutes late as local authorities initially denied fans access to the newly built grandstand at the Pedro Escartín stadium in Guadalajara, near Madrid. As the match progressed, Barcelona maintained control but struggled to create significant scoring opportunities against their lower-tier opponent. It wasn't until the 76th minute that Andreas Christensen broke the deadlock with a header, which deflected off a defender before finding the net. The hosts had a few chances to equalize but ultimately failed to capitalize. Marcus Rashford sealed the victory for Barcelona with a breakaway goal in the 90th minute. Coach Hansi Flick had rested some of the team's regular starters ahead of their upcoming match against Spanish league leaders Villarreal on Sunday. Elsewhere in the Copa del Rey, second-division Deportivo La Coruna caused an upset by eliminating top-flight Mallorca 1-0. Other first-division clubs, including Real Sociedad and Valencia, also advanced to the next round with victories over Eldense and Sporting Gijon, respectively. On Wednesday, Real Madrid will face third-division club Talavera, while Atletico Madrid takes on fourth-tier team Atletico Baleares in their Copa del Rey matches.