BARÇA HAS OVERCOME 91% OF ITS KNOCKOUT MATCHES
FC Barcelona, almost infallible in the Copa del Rey knockout stages since 2010
Published:16/01/2025 - 03:32h
Updated:16/01/2025 - 03:58h
FC Barcelona advanced to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey for the 18th time in the last 20 editions of the tournament. The Catalans have, in fact, overcome 49 of their last 54 knockout matches
FC Barcelona's thrashing of Real Betis (5-1) marked another qualification to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, a tournament that the Blaugrana have dominated with an iron fist this century. Since 2009, Barça has won seven trophies and has only missed out on the top eight teams on two occasions (2010 and 2022), after surprising eliminations against Sevilla and Athletic Club.
In this sense, Barça has been almost infallible in the Copa del Rey knockout stages over the last 15 years. The Catalans have overcome 91.7% of their knockout matches (49 out of 54), a brutal record that also confirms their dominance in a competition where they have qualified for at least the quarter-finals in 18 of the last 20 editions. In 2025, Hansi Flick's team will be aiming for their first title since 2021, when they thrashed Athletic in La Cartuja (0-4). Next Monday, January 20 (1:00 PM), Barça will find out their opponent in the quarter-finals.
Barça has only been eliminated in five editions of the Copa del Rey since 2010
In the last 14 editions of the Copa del Rey, Barça has only been eliminated five times before reaching the final. The Catalans fell to Real Madrid in the 'semis' in the 2012-13 (2-4 on aggregate) and 2022-23 (1-4 on aggregate) seasons. Of those occasions, 'La Casa Blanca' only took the title in 2023, as in 2013 the 'merengues' lost in the final to Atlético de Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu (1-2 in extra time).
The other three eliminations of Barça were at the hands of Athletic Club. The Basques knocked the Blaugrana out in the 2019-20 (1-0 in the quarter-finals), 2021-22 (3-2 in extra time, in the round of 16) and in the quarter-finals of last season (4-2 in extra time). All these eliminations occurred at San Mamés and only in the 2024 final did the 'lions' manage to lift the trophy, in penalties against Mallorca.
In the remaining nine editions, Barça always reached the final, winning the title in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021 against Athletic (three times, 2012, 2015, and 2021), Sevilla (two finals in 2016 and 2018), and Alavés (2017). In 2011 and 2014, the Catalans fell in the final against Madrid, while in 2019 Valencia left Barça at the gates of their fifth consecutive title.
