Barcelona struggled more than expected in a 3-2 win over fourth-division club Barbastro in the third round of the Copa del Rey on Sunday.
It was another lackluster performance for Barcelona, but enough to send the Catalan club into the round of 16.
“We suffered more than necessary,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said. “It’s a game in which you can score several goals, but when you don’t, you end up suffering more than expected.”
Barcelona was coming off hard-fought wins against last-place Almeria and midtable Las Palmas in the Spanish league. It hadn’t won in three straight games before that in all competitions.
Fermín López opened the scoring for Barcelona with a low shot from near the penalty spot after a cross by Raphinha in the 18th minute, and the Brazil forward added to the lead himself from close range in the 51st.
The hosts pulled closer with a goal by Adriá de Mesa off a corner in the 60th before Robert Lewandowski came off the bench to add Barcelona’s third by converting an 88th-minute penalty kick. Marc Prat Serrano scored for Barbastro again three minutes into stoppage time.
Barcelona forward João Félix had a goal disallowed for offside near halftime.
Xavi rested several of his regular starters ahead of the trip to Saudi Arabia to play in the Spanish Super Cup.
Barcelona defender Íñigo Martínez had to be replaced about 10 minutes after he entered the game in the second half because of an injury. He was returning from another injury that had sidelined him for about a month.
Barbastro had eliminated Almeria in the previous round.
OTHER RESULTS
Valencia needed extra time to win 2-1 and escape an upset against 10-man Cartagena, the last-place team in Spain’s second division.
Sergi Canós equalized in the 73rd after the hosts had taken the lead through Alfredo Ortuño four minutes into the match. José Luis Gayà netted the winner in the first half of extra time.
Cartagena played a man down after midfielder Iván Calero was sent off in first-half stoppage time.
Other topflight clubs to beat lower-division teams on Sunday included Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo, Mallorca, Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Osasuna.
Bilbao cruised past Eibar 3-0, Celta won 4-2 against Amorebieta, Mallorca beat Burgos 3-0, Sevilla won 2-1 at Racing Ferrol, Sociedad topped Malaga 1-0 and Osasuna defeated Castellon 1-0.
The upset of the day came when second-division club Tenerife defeated top-tier Las Palmas 2-0 in a Canary Islands derby in which both teams had players sent off in the second half. Both Tenerife goals came in the first half.
The game between Villarreal and Unionistas was suspended at 1-1 before the start of extra time because of a power outage. The extra time will now be played on Monday.
On Saturday, defending champion Real Madrid advanced past fourth-division club Arandina 3-1, while Atletico Madrid defeated third-division team Lugo 3-1.
Madrid, Atletico, Barcelona and Osasuna made their Copa debuts in this round, which is still played in single elimination games.
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