The Star Malaysia

Barcelona reach Spanish King’s Cup final after extra-time drama

Extra-time winner lightens mood as Messi and Co reach Cup final

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MADRID: Barcelona needed extratime to reach the Spanish King’s Cup final, with a 3-2 aggregate win over Sevilla coming just two days after a police raid on the club and the arrest of their former president.

Having trailed 2-0 from the first leg, Danish internatio­nal Martin Braithwait­e hit the crucial goal in the fifth minute of extra-time with a diving header off a Jordi Alba cross.

Gerard Pique had equalised in the fourth minute of stoppage time with virtually the last play of the game to save Barcelona.

The veteran internatio­nal headed in at the near post after a fine cross from Antoine Griezmann.

That was after Ousmane Dembele, who scored in the 2-0 win at Sevilla in La Liga at the weekend, had given the 30-time Spanish Cup winners a 12th-minute lead in the second leg with a right-foot drive from outside the area.

Sevilla could have killed the game off in the 73rd minute to deny Barcelona their place in the final for a 42nd time.

They were awarded a penalty when Lucas Ocampos was brought down by Oscar Mingueza.

However, Ocampos saw his tame right-foot effort from the spot saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Flagging Sevilla were then reduced to 10 men in injury time when Brazilian Fernando was red-carded for a foul on Francisco Trincao.

“The team deserved to qualify,” said Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman.

“For their work and honesty. We are more aggressive, we’ve always created chances, the team has improved enormously.

“This is a very important result for the club, for the players, and for me of course as well. This is an important step in earning a title.”

It was a much-needed win for Barcelona after former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, current chief executive Oscar Grau, head of legal services Roma Gomez Ponti and Bartomeu’s advisor Jaume Masferrer were arrested by Catalan police, who searched the club’s offices on Monday morning.

They were all questioned in relation to last year’s “Barcagate” scandal.

The club hold their presidenti­al elections later this week.

The search of Barcelona’s stadium was part of a probe into allegation­s the club carried out a defamation campaign against current and former players who were critical of Bartomeu. —

 ??  ?? Not cool: Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos is fouled by Barcelona’s Oscar Mingueza during the Spanish King’s Cup semi-final second-leg match at the Nou Camp. — Reuters
Not cool: Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos is fouled by Barcelona’s Oscar Mingueza during the Spanish King’s Cup semi-final second-leg match at the Nou Camp. — Reuters

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