Barcelona beat Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey

Late strikes from Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford secured a hard-fought 2-0 win for Barcelona against third-tier Guadalajara on Tuesday, sending the Catalans into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona worked for much of the game at the Pedro Escartin Stadium, enjoying more than 80% of the possession, but struggled to break down a disciplined five-man Guadalajara defence.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick introduced regulars Pau Kubarczy, Alejandro Balde, Jules Conte and Pedri from the bench in the second half in pursuit of a breakthrough.

The changes finally paid off in the 77th minute when Frenkie de Jong latched onto a cross from the right and defender Christensen rose to meet the delivery, his header deflecting off Guadalajara’s Julio Martinez before nestling into the net.

The hosts almost responded immediately, with Salifo Caropitche unleashing a fierce drive from distance, but Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen — playing his first game for Barca since May — reacted brilliantly to tip the effort over the bar, preserving his side’s slender lead.

Guadalajara’s hopes were dashed in the dying moments when Lamine Yamal played a superb ball into the path of Rashford.

The England forward showed great composure, keeper Dani Vicente with a quick cut to his left before tapping the ball into the empty net to seal the result for Barcelona.

“These are tough games; they come out with everything they have and we have to do the same,” Cubarsi told TVE.

“In the second half, we picked up the pace and moved them from side to side to wear them down. As the minutes went by, they got tired and that was the key point. They played spectacularly well.”