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Copa del Rey
Athletic Bilbao players celebrate the victory against Barça (4-2)

THIRD COPERA ELIMINATION AGAINST THE BASQUES

Athletic officially becomes Barça's great nightmare in the Cup

Published:25/01/2024 - 02:07h

Updated:25/01/2024 - 08:55h

Athletic Bilbao was again the executioner of FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey. For the third time in the last five confrontations, the Basques got the better of a Barça that, on Wednesday, ended without a soul in San Mamés

Calendar of FC Barcelona

By third opportunity since the Real Spanish Federation of Fütbol approved the change of format of the Glass of Rey, with direct elimination in all the previous phases to the final (with exception of the 'semis'), the Athletic of Bilbao turned into the hangman of the FC Barcelona in his competition predilecta. To the equal that in 2020 and 2022, the Basques took advantage of the localía to delete to the culés (4-2), thanks to a triumph in the lengthen.

For the Barça, this was his second fall in the quarter-finals in the Basque cathedral, something that already had suffered in the 2019/20, with Quique Setién in the bench (1-0). Two years later, in the 2021/22, already with Xavi Hernández like trainer, the Barcelona group fell in the eighth of final, also in the lengthen (3-2). In the middle of both eliminations, the Barça goleó to the 'lions' in the final of the 2020/21 in The Cartuja (0-4).

The Barça will have to expect to expand his command in the Glass

Maximum indisputable winner of the tournament with 31 titles, this grieve will be the fourth of the last 18 editions of the tournament where the Barça will not contest the semifinals. In addition to the three mentioned eliminations against the Athletic, the culés fell in the eighth of final of the 2009/10 in front of the Seville, with Pep Guardiola in the bench. The past season, the ones of Xavi arrived to 'semis', but fell in front of the Real Madrid (1-4 global).

By his part, the Athletic will look for his first crown from the season 1983/84, does exactly 40 years, when they defeated to the Barça in the Bernabéu by the minimum (1-0). The 'lions' have contested six finals since, four of them in front of the Barça (2009, 2012, 2015 and 2021), falling in all they. Previous to his last fiasco against the group blaugrana, the bilbaínos habáin lost with the Real Sociedad the final of the 2019/20.

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