Defender Eric García put Barca in front with a bullet header in the 21st minute before Lewandowski nodded home from close range 10 minutes later The Poland striker added a third goal two minutes into the second half with a simple low finish from near the penalty spot and Pablo Torre made it 4-0 after capitalising on an error by Barbastro goalkeeper Arnau Fabrega "We had to start the year like this," coach Hansi Flick told a news conference The win saw Flick reach the 100th victory of his managerial career while Barcelona's emergency signing Wojciech Szczesny made his debut in goal for the club Former Poland keeper Szczesny came out of retirement when he joined the LaLiga giants in October to replace the injured Marc-Andre Ter Stegen but had to wait to make his debut while his competition between the posts Iñaki Peña maintained good form Barcelona took the lead when defender Ronald Araújo nodded on a long pass inside the box by Frenkie De Jong for García to net into a bottom corner Araújo was making his season debut after suffering a hamstring injury in July during the Copa America "Ronald was injured but today we saw that he is fine," Flick said "We have to be careful with him but he played well for 90 minutes The hosts thwarted many of the visitors' attempts but Lewandowski doubled the lead after the ball deflected off a defender The 36-year-old added another goal after the break as Barcelona continued to dominate possession calmly scoring after home keeper Fabrega failed to find one of his defenders with a low pass which ended up at the feet of the Barcelona midfielder instead Aragonian club Barbastro sit 16th in Group Two of the Segunda Federacion The two teams met at the same stage of the Copa del Rey last year when Barcelona won 3-2 Defender Eric García put Barca in front with a bullet header in the 21st minute before Lewandowski nodded home from close range 10 minutes later The Poland striker added a third goal two minutes into the second half with a simple low finish from near the penalty spot and Pablo Torre made it 4-0 after capitalising on an error by Barbastro goalkeeper Arnau Fabrega \"We had to start the year like this,\" coach Hansi Flick told a news conference The win saw Flick reach the 100th victory of his managerial career while Barcelona's emergency signing Wojciech Szczesny made his debut in goal for the club Former Poland keeper Szczesny came out of retirement when he joined the LaLiga giants in October to replace the injured Marc-Andre Ter Stegen but had to wait to make his debut while his competition between the posts Iñaki Peña maintained good form Barcelona took the lead when defender Ronald Araújo nodded on a long pass inside the box by Frenkie De Jong for García to net into a bottom corner \"Ronald was injured but today we saw that he is fine,\" Flick said \"We have to be careful with him but he played well for 90 minutes On Saturday 4 January, FC Barcelona face the first challenge of 2025, and its a 7pm CET kick-off away to UD Barbastro in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey The home side are not at all unfamiliar to Culers as its the same side we played at this stage of the competition last year but here's a reminder of the key details.. Barbastro is city of around 17,000 people in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Huesca province of Aragon It is known for its rich cultural heritage and significance in the Somontano wine region The town boasts landmarks like the Cathedral of Santa María del Romeral a stunning example of Gothic and Renaissance architecture although its current name of Unión Deportiva Barbastro didn't come until much later Traditionally it built a strong rivalry with UD Huesca but the latter has grown to bigger things in recent years Barbastro have never played in either of the top two tiers of Spanish football and have spent almost their entire existence in the 4th and 5th tiers of the national pyramid They play at the Municipal de Deportes de Barbastro which normally holds 4,700 people but supplementary seating has been added for this game which is naturally a sell-out for this game and will gather around 6,000 people has waived its own ticket allocation so as to allow as many home supporters as possible the chance to attend such a momentous occasion The club's greatest moment came last season when they defeated first division Almería to qualify for the last 32 of the Copa del Rey They were drawn to face FC Barcelona and put up a good fight twice equalising before Robert Lewandowski eventually wrapped things up for the Catalans from the penalty spot in the closing minutes of a 3-2 win Fermín López and Raphinha were Barça's other scorers that day that was the only previous meeting between the clubs There is a curious connection between the two teams that dates back to December 2008 It was at Barbastro that Pep Guardiola made his debut as Barça B manager in the promotion playoffs to Division2B the start of an illustrious career for a man now regarded as one of the finest coaches of all time To put some perspective on the difference between these two teams Barbastro are currently competing in the 4th tier Segunda Federación Their cup run started with a 4-0 pasting of third tier Amorebieta from the Basque Country earning them a high-profile encounter with first division Espanyol they won that 2-0 thanks to a brace from Sito Barrera they now face Espanyol's city rivals in a rematch of last year's encounter That's in stark contrast to their league form where they have spent the whole campaign in the relegation zone their exploits in the Copa del Rey seem to have had a knock-on effect for since beating Espanyol they also won league games against Gernika and Ejea just five wins from their first 17 games leaves them third from bottom in the table the Barbastro players are little known outside of their own club With this scenario, and still no explanation from club president Joan Laporta, the Catalans made the short trip north-west to Barbastro, in the neighbouring region of Aragon, to begin their 2024-25 Copa del Rey challenge in a stadium with a capacity of just over 5,000 UD Barbastro are a team from the Segunda Federacion — the Spanish fourth division — who also faced Barcelona in this competition last January and fought until the end as they were beaten 3-2 After this season’s last-32 draw paired the two sides up again they wanted to repeat the feat: to compete against one of European football’s giants in a match they dominated from start to finish meant not adding fuel to the fire of the crisis that the club is going through who started and played the 90 minutes after 181 days out with a hamstring injury where is he?” chanted the Barbastro fans before kick-off had been announced in a statement: neither Olmo nor Victor would be granted a licence to actually play for the club they’d signed with back in the summer and subsequently made a combined 32 appearances for It has not been a quiet Christmas period in Barcelona there was also uncertainty as to what would happen to these two players The deadline to gather the documentation and money needed to register them was approaching but Barcelona showed no signs of having the situation under control Barcelona had pursued their options through legal channels twice asking for an injunction to allow both to continue to play while the matter was being resolved “We are a bit worried because they are two very important players for us The club say they are going to be able to resolve it and we hope so,” defender Araujo told reporters after the Barbastro match The Olmo/Victor affair comes on top of that run of poor results in La Liga which contrasted with good performances in the Champions League where Barcelona are second in the 36-team league phase table with two matchdays remaining Their last game of 2024 ended with a painful defeat against Atletico Madrid as the “s**t November” that Flick bemoaned in a press conference lasted until the end of the following month The day they returned to action from a two-week winter break with mental and physical batteries recharged they had to face a last-32 match against a team who even though they are in the fourth division were hyper-motivated to face their idols — and that doesn’t always end well for the interests of the big team involved Barcelona showed a concentration and seriousness befitting of what was asked of them but unbecoming of the turbulent moment this squad are going through gave no concessions to their lower-league hosts and pressed high after losing the ball.  They played without pure wingers but still found depth down the flanks thanks to Martin while Torre was mentally agile and helped the ball circulation to be quicker Garcia scored the first in the 21st minute Lewandowski followed with a brace and in the 57th minute Torre took advantage of a blunder by the Barbastro defence to kill the game off and take away any interest the home side might have had in the last half hour It had been 181 days since Araujo, one of Barcelona’s captains, last played, due to a hamstring injury suffered during the Copa America with Uruguay Coming amid many rumours that the club wanted to sell him in order to make money that would solve part of their well-publicised financial problems news of his long-term loss stopped everything which of the three would have to be left out of the starting line-up Cubarsi was rested on the bench initially against Barbastro and Flick tried out a couple of central defenders Martinez started alongside Araujo and then Flick replaced the 33-year-old Basque and put teenager Cubarsi in for the last half-hour “I didn’t think I was going to play all 90 minutes but the coach kept asking me how I was doing and I was feeling good,” said the Uruguayan “I’m happy to be playing again after such a long time I’ve earned my place where I am: to be one of the four captains of FC Barcelona and that’s it Barcelona do not want any player on course to finish his contract in summer 2026 to start next season with them When asked how the renewal negotiations were going but I’m focused on playing again and getting minutes Although the club initially told him that Szczesny was coming to play, Inaki Pena started to put in some good performances and Flick ended up putting his faith in the 25-year-old Szczesny hardly had to get involved because Barbastro hardly attacked (one shot on target but it was the proper start of his Barca career nonetheless Another debutant was Fernandez. In contrast to the hugely experienced Szczesny, he became the second-youngest debutant in the club’s history at 16 years, five months and 17 days old, behind only Lamine Yamal He played just the last nine minutes but did enough to prove that he deserved the chance including a corner that nearly assisted Garcia for what would have been his second goal of the game who returned from a right-ankle sprain injury that had kept him off the pitch since mid-October was in the squad for the pre-season tour of the United States last summer “Toni Fernandez truly is a great talent and he showed no fear,” the German coach said after the match Wednesday, January 8: Athletic Club Before joining The Athletic as a football writer, Laia Cervelló worked at Diario Sport reporting on FC Barcelona for four years. She has also worked for another four years for BeIN SPORTS Spain and GOLTV. She began her career as a journalist at 'betevé', the public television station in Barcelona, where she spent almost nine years. Follow Laia on Twitter @Laia_Cervello The Poland international bagged a brace as Hansi Flick's side cruised to a comfortable victory against the minnows Hansi Flick’s Barcelona avoided a potential upset at fourth tier side Barbastro on Saturday as goals from Eric Garcia and Robert Lewandowski secured safe passage into the fourth round of the Copa del Rey There was no Dani Olmo or Pau Victor for the Catalans, as the club's registration problems continued but the Catalans took control from the off and opened the scoring when Frenkie de Jong’s cross was headed back across goal by the returning Ronald Araujo for Eric Garcia to flick home This time it was young midfielder Pablo Torre with a fine delivery that was nodded home at the far post by the Poland international The two players combined again straight after half-time for Barca's third A neat touch from Torre sent Lewandowski through on goal to fire a low shot past goalkeeper Arnau Fabregas Barcelona's fourth then duly arrived and was gift wrapped by Fabregas The stopper passed the ball straight to Torre who had the simple task of smashing it high into the roof of the net from close range to complete the scoring and secure safe passage into the next round GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Estadio Municipal de Barbastro.. There were a number of notable absences from the squad list released by manager Hansi Flick while Lamine Yamal and Andreas Christensen have just returned to training after injury layoffs and Barça have decided against rushing them back are left out because they are yet to be re-registered The other big omission happens to be in-form winger and one of the team captains Raphinha Providing an update on why Raphinha is not part of the squad that will travel to face Barbastro tonight, journalist Adria Albets claims that the decision was made by Hansi Flick to rest the Brazilian international (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)The decision is very much understandable considering that Raphinha has been one of the players who has been an ever-present figure in the team and has barely had any rest with Barça set to take on Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals Flick would want his in-form player at his best Raphinha has played 25 matches for Barcelona clocking 2064 minutes in total across all competitions in which he has scored 17 goals and set up ten more With the Brazilian not involved tonight and the likes of Lamine, Pau Victor, and Ferran also unavailable, there could be a starting berth for Ansu Fati who has been waiting for his chance since returning from injury last month La Masia gem Toni Fernandez could also get some minutes given the notable absences in the attacking unit It was a rocky end to 2024 for Hansi Flick's side, winning just one of their final seven domestic matches of the year. Now, with uncertainty over Dani Olmo's future Nevertheless, Barcelona begin their Copa del Rey journey with sights set on winning the tournament for the first time since the 2020–21 season The road starts with a visit to the Estadio Municipal de Deportes for a second year in a row Barcelona narrowly escaped with a victory against UD Barbastro A 3–2 final score that required a Robert Lewndowski penalty in the 88th minute to secure a spot in the next round The Blaugrana are heavy favorites and should advance without the need of another tight contest this time around Flick might opt to field an alternative side given Barcelona's upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia to play the Spanish Super Cup next week Despite the two week break during December's festive period Flick could decide to give even more rest to players that were heavily taxed during the first half of the season UD Barbastro in the third round of the Copa del Rey GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—The Polish goalkeeper who signed as an emergency plan in October following the injury to Marc-André ter Stegen could finally get his first start for Barcelona RB: Jules Koundé—The France international will be one of the few regulars that stay in the lineup CB: Ronald Araújo—Araújo will get his first start of the season for Barcelona after recovering from the injury he suffered in last summer's Copa América CB: Íñigo Martínez—Martínez will partner Araújo in the center of defense LB: Gerard Martín—The 22-year-old left back will give Alejandro Balde even more time to rest before the critical months of the campaign CM: Frenkie de Jong—The Dutch midfielder has found it hard to break into the starting lineup but will hope for a change in fortune in 2025 CM: Pedri—Pedri will partner de Jong in the base of midfield hoping to continue his strong season RW: Raphinha—The Brazilian will occupy the right wing giving Lamine Yamal more time to recover from his ankle injury AM: Gavi—Gavi will make consecutive starts for the first time since his ACL injury in 2023 LW: Fermín López—Fermín will start from the left looking to drift centrally to the areas he usually operates in ST: Ferran Torres—The former Manchester City man ended 2024 scoring four goals in five games in December being primarily utilized as a center forward ROBERTO CASILLASRoberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan. Match reviewBarbastro 0-4 Barcelona: Lewandowski double seals Copa del Rey progressRobert Lewandowski was on target twice as Barcelona eased into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with a 4-0 win over Barbastro Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Barbastro 0 win(s) 04 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT?Barcelona won 4–0 over Barbastro on Sat 04 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT.InsightsHaven't kept a clean sheet in 6 matches Barbastro is playing home against Barcelona at Estadio Municipal de Deportes on Sat ShareSaveCommentBusinessSportsMoneyFC Barcelona Coach Flick Discusses Olmo Case And Praises Young Gun After Barbastro WinByTom Sanderson Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Tom Sanderson is a Barcelona-based writer who covers Spanish football.Follow AuthorJan 04 04:17pm ESTShareSaveCommentFC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick briefly discussed the registration debacle related to Dani Olmo .. while also praising young debutant Toni Fernandez following a Copa del Rey clash with Barbastro on Saturday The Catalans advanced to the tournament's last 16 after overcoming its hosts 4-0 away from home "We have to be professional and accept the situation of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor I try not to let it affect the team's performance," Flick said "Everyone wants Olmo and Victor to be with us but we were focused on the match against Barbastro be professional and work on the pitch," he added History was made in this weekend's win with Toni Fernandez becoming Barca's second-youngest debutant after Lamine Yamal It's good to see him back after being out for a long time due to injury," the German said about Fernandez Ansu Fati was of course the Lamine of his day and the most talked up La Masia talent at the turn of the decade the number 10 got minutes but didn't exactly impress "Ansu has almost always played on the left and I prefer him to play in that position and not in the attacking midfield," Flick clarified which contributed to Barca losing its six-point lead over Real Madrid who it now trails by five at the La Liga summit Flick said that winning the first fixture of 2025 was "important" We didn't give our opponents any chances and we converted the chances we had FC Barcelona's first fixture of 2025 is a round of 32 match in the knockout tournament away to Barbastro – exactly the same as in the 23/24 season when they also travelled to play the side from Aragon in the first game of 2024 Another win at the Municipal stadium for Hansi Flick's side will see them progress in the competition The game kicks off at 7pm local time on Saturday 4 January and this guide should help you work out what time that will be in your part of the world If you are unable to watch for whatever reason, or if you wish to complement your viewing with second screen info, don’t forget that we have full coverage of the game, including the build-up live from the stadium and post-match reactions in our Match Center right here on the official website Here's a map of selected international kick-off times: And let's not forget the complete coverage available on our official social networks: Please note that although we provide a list of the broadcasters that hold the rights to show the games in different countries or regions below we CANNOT guarantee that they will actually show the game Please check the individual broadcaster websites for confirmation Central America and Dominican Republic (Costa Rica 12.00pm Dominican Republic 2.00pm)Sky Sports Norte Bahamas 1.00pm)DIRECTV Sports Caribbean in Bahamas Austria and Italy (7.00pm)DAZN and Sportdigital FUSSBALL in Germany and Austria Czech Republic and Slovakia (7.00pm)Sport 2 CZ/SK Croatia (7.00pm)MAXtv To Go and Arena Sport 6 Croatia Western Balkans (7.00pm)Moja TVArena Sport 3P in Bosnia and Herzegovina Bangladesh 12.00am on Sunday 5)FanCode in India Lewandowski 9 | UD Barbastro 0-4 Barcelona: Player ratingsBarca UniversalJanuary 4 2025 at 7:51 PM UTC·4 min readBarcelona kicked off the new year in style with a dominant 4-0 win over UD Barbastro last night thus recording their first win in three games Knowing well the history of the Copa del Rey and the frequency of upsets in the early stages the importance of the win and the dominance of the margin cannot be understated Barcelona relatively struggled against the same opposition last season Eric Garcia opened the scoring early on the night before Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead against the fourth-division side the Polish striker made it 3-0 and Pablo Torre scored the fourth Barça Universal brings you the player ratings from UD Barbastro 0-4 Barcelona The Polish shot-stopper made his debut for Barcelona on the night and had barely any role to play with Barbastro simply creating no chances Looked reassured with his distribution and composed whenever called on the ball A good performance from the Spaniard who replaced Alejandro Balde in the lineup for the cup clash Looked positive going forward and linked up well with Fermin Lopez to create spaces in the Barbastro defence The veteran defender continued his dominance at the back cool with his distribution and ever-reliable in his defensive presence Did not have a whole much to do in terms of core defending but was heavily involved in the buildup Araujo was impressive in his first appearance of the season (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)Making his season debut Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo did not look like a player who has been out for over six months While indeed one cannot read much into a game against Barbastro and distribution and even attacked the box in set-pieces Earned the assist for Eric Garcia’s opener with a lovely header and could have even had a goal of his own A solid display from the French centre-back who was a constant presence in attack Linked up well with Pablo Torre and Pedri and created threats repeatedly from the flank Garcia did well to fill the shoes of Marc Casado and ensured the hosts did not get any momentum in the buildup Scored the team’s opening goal with a well-timed header strong in possession and positive with his distribution Created the team’s opener with a lovely long ball as the pre-assist to Ronald Araujo The Canary Islander was only part of the first half against Barbastro last night and did well as a deep-lying midfielder but the manager did well to take him off and prioritise his fitness against a rough opposition (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)The young phenom stepped up on the night and was one of the team’s best players He assisted Robert Lewandowski twice against Barbastro and finished off with an open goal himself to put the cherry on the cake Lopez was far from his best and did not quite influence the game as he would have liked he did play most of the game out of position and one must not read too much into it yet managed to net two goals against the lower-ranked opposition First scored from a set-piece in the opening half and then completed his brace with a goal that was borderline offside The La Masia graduate replaced Pedri at halftime and brought much-needed physicality and dynamism to Barcelona’s buildup anchored the play and also pushed forward increasingly as the half progressed Came on as a part of a late double substation when Hansi Flick replaced Inigo Martinez to hand him rest Cubarsi took over as the leader in defence and fought well against Barbastro’s late resurgence alongside Araujo A solid cameo from the young academy defender who did well to replace Jules Kounde at right-back Did not offer much in attack but was defensively sound A positive cameo from Fati in terms of buildup and movement but simply lacked the precision in the final third to finish any of his chances making his debut for the first team at just 16 years of age How to watch the Copa del Rey match between Barbastro and Barcelona Barcelona will take on Barbastro in a Copa del Rey round of 32 clash at Estadio Municipal de Deportes on Saturday The Blaugrana enter the cup competition at this stage while Basbastro made it here after wins over Amorebieta and Espanyol GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch In the United States (US), the Copa del Rey match between Barbastro and Barcelona will be available to watch and stream online live through ESPN+ Check out GOAL's Live Match Centre for updates The Copa del Rey match between Barbastro and Barcelona will be played at Estadio Municipal de Deprtes in Barbastro It will kick off at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET on Saturday Andres Barrera is one of the key figures for the Segunda B side with seven goals and two assists in 18 appearances this season and he should play in support of Marc Prat in attack Javier Albin and Ander El Haddadi are expected to complete the three-man attack Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Lamine Yamal are all confined to the treatment room with Barca boss Hansi Flick also keeping an eye out for the upcoming Spanish Super Cup match against Atletico Madrid Wojciech Szczesny would fancy his debut for the club here while Ronald Araujo could mark his return after recovering from a hamstring problem Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will not be available as the duo are currently not registered for Barcelona FC Barcelona are to face Barbastro in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on 3,4 or 5 January the Aragonese team are in group 2 of the Segunda Federación where they are currently in 16th place on 13 points The team is coached by Daniel Martínez and this season Guillermo Alonso Marc Prat and Andrés Barrera Baigorri are top scorers with three goals each In the previous round of this season's Copa del Rey Barbastro knocked out Barça's city rivals Espanyol with two goals from Sito settling the tie in the Campo Municipal de Deportes Barbastro In January a rematch of last season's last 32 tie awaits them against an FC Barcelona side who had to be at their best to beat Barbastro 3-2 away from home in the 2023/24 Copa del Rey UD Logroñés v Athletic ClubDeportivo Minera v Real MadridPontevedra v MallorcaPonferradina v Real SociedadOurense v Real ValladolidMarbella v Atlético de MadridTenerife v OsasunaCartagena v LeganésElche v Las PalmasEldense v ValenciaAlmería v SevillaRacing de Ferrol v Rayo VallecanoRacing de Santander v CeltaHuesca v Real BetisGranada v Getafe Official: Barcelona starting lineup against UD Barbastro – Szczesny debutsBarca UniversalJanuary 4 2025 at 4:59 PM UTC·1 min readFC Barcelona take on UD Barbastro in an hour in their first match of 2025 with the two teams battling it out for a spot in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has announced the starting lineup that will take on the minnows from the RFEF Segunda Division emergency signing Wojciech Szczesny finally makes his debut for the Blaugrana after having arrived as a replacement for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen more than three months ago there is also a first appearance of the season for defender Ronald Araujo He pairs up with Inigo Martinez at the heart of the defence Jules Kounde continues at right-back while Gerard Martin gets into the team in place of Alejandro Balde on the left where he will be accompanied by Frenkie de Jong Flick has opted to retain Pedri as part of the midfield unit Pablo Torre and Fermin Lopez also get rare starts in the attacking third in the absence of players like Dani Olmo Robert Lewandowski leads the line as the lone striker After their Copa del Rey clash against Barcelona Barbastro star Israel Garcia proposed to his girlfriend to add shine on a difficult evening FC Barcelona are through to the last sixteen of the Copa del Rey after a comfortable victory over lower league outfit Barbastro on Saturday A rather lop-sided affair only ever looked like having one winner with goals from Eric García Robert Lewandowski (2) and Pablo Torre securing a 4-0 win that is the ideal send-off for the players who will now be jetting off to Saudi Arabia to play in the Spanish Super Cup is next Wednesday 8 and the matches themselves are being played the week after There were already two highlights in Hansi Flick’s starting XI The first was the presence of Wojciech Szczęsny in goal for the very first time and the second was the return from a 181-day absence injury of Ronald Araujo Ansu Fati made his own comeback from a fitness issue as a second half substitute Barça Atlètic’s16-year-old Toni Fernandez came on for his first ever minutes with the senior team and in his short time on pitch managed to get involved in a number of promising plays The only downside of Barça’s commanding display is that Szczęsny never really got the chance to show us what he is made of The Polish stopper barely had to make a single intervention of consequence as Barça utterly dominated an opponent that plays four tiers below them in Segunda Federación Moments after having a great chance brilliantly saved by the home keeper the Uruguayan rose to meet a Frenkie de Jong’s long cross and set up a diving header from Eric García to score Barça’s first goal of 2025 on 21 minutes While Barbastro had put up an impressive fight in this same fixture 12 months earlier this time they were very much made to look second best but Barça were circulating the ball at ease and turning almost every possession into chances Lewandowski doubled up by heading home a Pablo Torre free kick The Barbastro supporters may have been dreaming of a cupset all week but the way Barça were controlling this game the chances of that happening were already looking slim when a third goal as good as ended the contest with 45 minutes of football still to play who had already hit the crossbar earlier threaded an assist to Lewandowski and the Pole’s composed finish made it 3-0 And then a horrendous error from the home goalkeeper left Pablo Torre alone with the ball in front of goal and free to tap home the easiest goal he is ever likely to score but thoroughly deserved by a player whose performance this evening will surely have made an impression on Hansi Flick it was just a question of playing out the final minutes Barbastro were outclassed in their attempts to at least delight their fans with a consolation goal Barça continued to press for a fifth that never came The game did produced one moment of major concern when Iñigo Martinez clashed heads with Jaime Ara of the home side The latter came off the worst and was stretchered off to an ovation from the home fans Here at Barça we also wish the player a rapid recovery we also wish all the best to Barbastro's Israel Garcia who following the final whistle went over and proposed to his girlfriend That's not something we get too often in Barça matches Barbastro to hold moment of silence for late Barcelona doctor who rushed to their player’s aidBarca UniversalMarch 13 a club competing in Spain’s fourth-tier football division have decided to honour the late Dr Carles Minarro with a moment of silence before their match against Real Sociedad C on Sunday The decision comes as a mark of gratitude for the medical intervention he provided earlier this year during their Copa del Rey clash against Barcelona Dr Minarro, who was a part of Barcelona’s medical team, tragically passed away last Saturday just before Barcelona’s scheduled match against Osasuna His sudden death deeply impacted many in the football community especially those who witnessed his dedication to player welfare Barbastro have not forgotten the critical role he played on 4 January when they faced Barcelona in the Copa del Rey’s round of 32 a serious collision occurred in the 52nd minute between Inigo Martinez and Barbastro’s Jaime Ara Ara took the brunt of the impact and suffered a heavy blow to the head His immediate intervention ensured that the Barbastro player was properly attended to before being taken to the hospital for further examination Ara remained under medical observation overnight as doctors conducted tests to rule out any serious brain damage he was later discharged without major complications Barbastro announced on social media that they will observe a minute of silence before kickoff against Real Sociedad C This tribute serves as a heartfelt reminder of Dr Minarro’s commitment to the game and the well-being of players His legacy will be remembered not only in Barcelona but also by those he helped throughout his career Frenkie de Jong Starts The Game | 4-2-3-1 Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs BarbastroThe 4th OfficialJanuary 3 2025 at 9:40 PM UTC·2 min readBarcelona will lock horns with Barbastro in the Cope del Rey in their first game of the new calendar year They had to face a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the La Liga in their previous game they would like to keep that in the past now Hansi Flick’s side would want to kick off with a win this week before going into the Supercopa de Espana semi-final round Though the manager will try to field a substantially solid lineup Inaki Pena has been the first-choice goalkeeper since the injury to Marc-Andre ter Stegen Wojciech Szczesny is in line to make his Barcelona debut this week Right-back Jules Kounde continues to take onto the field Ronald Araujo is also expected to make his much-anticipated return and he will pair up with Eric Garcia to form the heart of the defence Gerard Martín should be seen operating as the left-back Frenkie de Jong and Pablo Torre are likely to form the holding midfield duo. Pedri and Marc Casado might get minutes in the latter stages of the game if needed The attack consists of Ansu Fati and Fermin Lopez operating on the wings with Gavi deployed in the central areas to contribute to both aspects of the game Ferran Torres is leading the line as using Robert Lewandowski in this game would make very little sense to everyone Marc Bernal and Lamine Yamal are sidelined due to injuries while Dani Olmo and Pau Victor aren’t available as they are yet to be registered Hansi Flick talks Yamal, Raphinha, Araujo, Torre, Ansu after Barbastro 0-4 BarcelonaBarca UniversalJanuary 5, 2025 at 6:00 AM UTC·3 min readBarcelona began the new year with a resounding 4-0 victory over Barbastro securing their place in the Copa del Rey’s round of 16 Manager Hansi Flick was visibly pleased with the team’s collective performance and saw the win as a step in the right direction after a challenging end to 2024 Flick stressed the importance of this triumph expressing hope that the momentum gained from this match would carry into the upcoming Spanish Super Cup Flick highlighted the team’s defensive solidity as a key factor in the win The players gave their opponents no opportunities ensuring a dominant performance from start to finish This defensive organisation laid the foundation for the attack allowing Barcelona to dictate the game and score comfortably We didn’t give our rivals any chance,” he said.  (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)Flick prefers using Ansu Fati on the left wing rather than in a central role as a striker The manager explained that this positioning allows Ansu to exploit his strengths providing creativity and cutting inside to pose a threat to opposition defences His role in the game further demonstrated why Flick sees him as a key part of the team in this position I always think of Ansu playing on the left I prefer him to play there and not as a striker,” he added (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)The manager also praised the efforts of the less frequently used players showcasing his abilities and proving that the squad has depth Flick’s satisfaction with Torre’s level of play underscores the importance of every player stepping up during critical moments “I am very happy with the level of the less common players today and with the overall performance of the entire team.” (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Ronald Araujo’s return from a serious injury was another highlight of the match he demonstrated his reliability and leadership on the pitch Flick’s decision to entrust him with significant game time reflects the defender’s importance as both a player and a captain “Araujo has returned after a serious injury He was able to play 90 minutes and you have seen his level Lamine Yamal will be available against Athletic Club (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)The manager hinted at the possibility of Lamine Yamal featuring in the Spanish Super Cup though the final decision would depend on training sessions in Barcelona and Saudi Arabia we train on Monday in Barcelona and on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia I think Lamine could be in the game against Athletic,” he noted.  Flick explained that although the player had been training well it was deemed wiser to rest him for this match to avoid any risks he was training well but we decided it was more prudent to save him this trip,” he concluded Source: AS The year 2025 starts in Barbastro for FC Barcelona as on Saturday at 7pm CET they take on the club from Aragón in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey The meeting is a repeat of the tie from the same stage of the competition last season when the blaugranes were pushed all the way by the fourth tier side in a 3-2 victory for Barça The opening game of the year is also the team's debut in the cup after receiving a bye in previous rounds due to their participation in the upcoming Spanish Super Cup For the cup game coach Hansi Flick has named the following squad: Cubarsí Watch: Barcelona starlet lays on two brilliant assists during Barbastro clashGet Spanish Football NewsJanuary 4 2025 at 7:31 PM UTC·1 min readBarcelona youngster Pablo Torre was responsible for not one but two superb assists during the club’s latest outing Barca are of course currently locked in action in a Copa del Rey meeting with minnows Barbastro the Blaugrana find themselves cruising towards the competition’s Last-16 Robert Lewandowski has proven himself the star of the show courtesy of two typically composed finishes it is another member of Hansi Flick’s squad who has nevertheless seen his name take its place front and centre in the chatter amongst the Barcelona faithful Midfielder Torre was afforded a rare opportunity to feature from the off at the Estadio Municipal this evening this is a chance which the 21-year-old has since gone on to grasp with both hands Torre has played a direct hand in three of the visitors’ four goals to date and a brilliant first-time defence-splitting pass: Three talking points ahead of UD Barbastro vs Barcelona | Copa del ReyBarca UniversalJanuary 4 2025 at 11:00 AM UTC·4 min readBarcelona’s next four games span across four different competitions and it is clear that the calendar is now heating up they face a daunting challenge in the Copa del Rey that may be easy on paper but is anything but that in practicality they take on UD Barbastro in the Round of 32 of the cup competition who are ironically the same team they faced in the event last season Barbastro are currently 16th in the RFEF Segunda Division and only recently recovered from a horrific run of five straight losses in the league the game against Barcelona is the highlight of their calendar and they will come out all guns blazing to pull off an upset Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of UD Barbastro vs Barcelona If there was one team in Europe that needed the hiatus from football the most to recoup and return were on a downward spiral over the last weeks of 2024 and went from one low to another from a results perspective Their performances against Leganes and Atletico Madrid were not poor in any measure but they simply had run out of fortune and lost both games devastatingly was forgettable for Hansi Flick’s side and the Christmas break was a much-needed breathing space for the dressing room the Catalans will look to come out all guns blazing when they take to the field for the first time in 2025 it is going to take a massive run of momentum for Barcelona to regain the lead and a lot depends on how they can keep churning out results now is the start of a new year and the team will look to make sure they get off on the right foot the first change expected on the night is for Wojciech Szczesny to replace Inaki Pena in the starting lineup The Polish goalkeeper has not played an official game for Barcelona since arriving as a replacement for Marc-Andre ter Stegen and will look to make his mark tomorrow especially with Pena slowly losing the management’s trust The second big season debut incoming is that of Ronald Araujo who has not featured for the club in any capacity so far this campaign Having completely recovered from an injury he suffered in the Copa America the Uruguayan will be eager to prove his worth to the new manager and provide rest to either Pau Cubarsi or Inigo Martinez one can expect regular substitutes like Fermin Lopez and Ansu Fati to merit starts in the midfield and final third and the likes of Gerard Martin to play in defence If there is one thing the Copa del Rey is famous for it is the early upsets it provides year after year in what has now become a tradition Ever since the competition changed its format to a one-game knockout format with the lower-ranked club having the home advantage the first-division teams cannot take the event for granted Stepping into the fiery atmosphere of a lower-ranked team’s stadium and playing 90 minutes against a team that has nothing to lose is easier said than done Barcelona know the same better than anyone else It was only last year in the same event that the Blaugrana took on UD Barbastro in the Spanish Cup but the game was far from easy It was a narrow 3-2 win for them at the end and the opponents had great chances to even pull off an upset As they head into the game against Barbastro it is critical that Hansi Flick maintains rationality and does not underestimate the opposition One wrong step and the event could be over for his side ShareSaveCommentBETAThis is a BETA experience. opt-out hereBusinessSportsMoneyFC Barcelona Versus Barbastro Line Up: Flick Makes Numerous ChangesByTom Sanderson 03:38am ESTShareSaveCommentFC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick will make several changes to his usual starting line up when the .. More Catalans play their first game of 2025 in the Copa del Rey against Barbastro FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick will make several changes to his usual starting line up when the Catalans play their first game of 2025 in the Copa del Rey against Barbastro he will grant season debuts to goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and center back stalwart Ronald Araujo The cup match will be a welcomed distraction for Barca away from the debacle involving the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor who are commonly allowed to watch at least 15 minutes of the training session that precedes the manager's sitdown with the press "They always enjoy themselves and have a good time there is a very good atmosphere in our team That's why we love working here," he added Though naturally most of the questions that Flick fielded were about Olmo and Pau Victor the ex-Bayern Munich boss revealed that he watched last year's Copa del Rey tie against Barbastro which Barca squeaked 3-2 on the watch of his predecessor Xavi Hernandez I saw last year's game and it was a tough match We have to be well focused from the first second and we have to show everything we can do and our game," Flick insisted Araujo also starts partnered by Inigo Martinez at center back while Jules Kounde and Gerard Martin get the nod at left back and right back Taking the places of Pedri and Marc Casadao Frenkie de Jong and Eric come in as double pivots he is the CAM with Fermin Lopez to his left and Pablo Torre to his right ShareSaveCommentBusinessSportsMoneyFC Barcelona Star Araujo Reveals Olmo Worry And Contract Renewal Talks After Barbastro WinByTom Sanderson 05:04pm ESTShareSaveCommentFC Barcelona star Ronald Araujo shed light on his contract renewal talks and the worry there is in .. More the squad about Dani Olmo's registration debacle following a Copa del Rey win over Barbastro The Uruguayan was handed his starting debut in 2024/2025 by manager Hansi Flick for the 4-0 win "We're talking about it with the club and we hope that it can be resolved I'm focused on playing again and getting minutes and good feelings." When he was subsequently probed on remaining "100%" at Barca we will see how the issue continues." Araujo said: "We are a little worried because they are two very important players for us but the club says that it will be able to solve it and we hope that it will be so It is a hard issue for our teammates." Araujo had praise to give to Toni Fernandez who became the second youngest debutant in club history after Lamine Yamal through his cameo It's incredible what the people of La Masia do when they go up [to the first team] they are not afraid," Araujo remarked After a rocky end to 2024 for both club and player Araujo was pleased to be back in action while picking up a win "We're happy for the victory and I am happy to play again after a long time I didn't expect to play the full 90 minutes We knew that this break was going to be good for us to recover and work well," he said Stage 3 profile(Image credit: Unipublic)Stage 3 is a rolling 132km from Barbastro to Huesca where the wind could play a role in the outcome of the race that is expected to be a fast finish into Huesca Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games. She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023. Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Robert Lewandowski has scored 84 goals across all competitions since joining Barcelona in July 2022 Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona comfortably dispatched Barbastro to reach the last 16 of the Copa del Rey Manager Hansi Flick named a strong team for the trip to the fourth-tier side as Barca looked to bounce back from successive La Liga defeats before the winter break Former Manchester City defender Eric Garcia set Barca on their way before Lewandowski met Pablo Torre's free-kick to head home latching on to a deft pass from Torre and rolling the ball into the corner to take his tally for the season to 25 goals across all competitions Torre got his name on the scoresheet when he profited from a mistake by goalkeeper Arnau Fabrega 16-year-old Toni Fernandez was handed his senior debut in the 81st minute Barcelona are record 31-time winners of the Copa del Rey but have not lifted the trophy since 2020-21 Olmo in limbo as La Liga and Spanish FA rule against Barca To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser substituted for Victor at 86 minutesNumber 5 substituted for Marc Prat at 55 minutesNumber 8 substituted for Manu Castillo at 78 minutesNumber 6 Yellow Card at 43 minutesJurgi Oteo 79' substituted for Jurgi Oteo at 79 minutesNumber 10 substituted for Pau Cubarsí at 62 minutesNumber 4 substituted for Sergi Domínguez at 62 minutesNumber 24 substituted for Gavi at 46 minutesNumber 14 substituted for Toni Fernández at 81 minutesNumber 9 Yellow Card at 51 minutesAnsu Fati 62' substituted for Ansu Fati at 62 minutesSubstitutesNumber 26 Gavi Match OfficialsReferee: Isidro Díaz de Mera EscuderosAssistant Referee 1: Diego Santaursula AguadoAssistant Referee 2: Iván Hernández RamosFourth Official: Jerónimo Montes García-NavasMatch StatsKey Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time Ansu Fati (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half Fermín López (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal Assisted by Toni Fernández with a through ball Sito Barrera (Barbastro) wins a free kick in the defensive half Eric García (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right Assisted by Toni Fernández with a cross following a corner Sergi Domínguez (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked Ansu Fati (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner Ansu Fati (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner Barcelona start 2025 with a Copa del Rey trip to fourth-tier side Barbastro on January 4 as they take a break from La Liga's title race Hansi Flick's team ended 2024 with a mixed run of form and their January schedule also features a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup That makes balancing his players' exertions particularly important for the head coach The Catalans have struggled in recent Copa del Rey campaigns They exited at the quarterfinal stage last season and they have not reached the final since winning the title in 2021 expected to progress past the team from the northeast with few problems MORE: All the latest soccer news | Barcelona news Barbastro are battling against relegation to the fifth tier with the Copa del Rey providing a break from their difficult league campaign They knocked out La Liga side Espanyol in the previous round and this is the second year in a row they have reached the last 32 With a trip to Saudi Arabia on the horizon alongside a busy La Liga schedule, plus two UEFA Champions League games this month Flick will give some of his young players a chance to impress Gerard Martin and a club debut for Wojciech Szczesny Dani Olmo and Pau Victor are set to miss out due to the club still working on their registrations for 2025. Here's how to watch this Copa del Rey match across selected areas of the world's major regions: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more > Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News He has been working with TSN since the start of 2022 after stints with Reach Amazon UK and Squawka in a nomadic career in the football media pyramid Always with a keen eye on Arteta's 'Reds' and Kenny's Ireland 'Greens' and a 100% five-a-side penalty record Barça start 2025 with a road trip in the Cup A new year begins and Barcelona kick off a busy January with their Copa del Rey debut away to fourth tier Barbastro in the Round of 32 on Saturday evening Barça hope to rebound from a very tough end to 2024 and return to their best version shown at the beginning of the season and they’ll be hoping to do so with a big win against a team they’ll be expected to beat easily But this same Barbastro side caused Barça huge problems when they faced each other exactly one year ago in this same round of the Cup so the Blaugrana cannot take anything for granted given their current form and how excited Barbastro will be to get a second chance to pull off one of the biggest upsets ever Here’s how we think Hansi Flick will line up his troops for Saturday’s battle Even though Flick isn’t the biggest fan of rotations even he will be aware of the importance of giving minutes to reserves and youngsters in this one as well as saving his best players for the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia The semi-final against Athletic Bilbao comes just four days after the trip to Barbastro so resting as many starters as possible is a must in this one Wojciech Szczesny is expected to finally make his debut in goal after joining the club as a free agent and Ronald Araujo will also make his first start this season after more than six months away with a hamstring injury Eric García will probably be his partner at center-back and Jules Kounde (due to Héctor Fort’s injury) and Gerard Martín will likely be the starting full-backs for this one Frenkie de Jong has found it very hard to find minutes in midfield since returning to the side but he’ll probably be in the starting XI as part of a double pivot with Gavi in this one with Marc Casadó and Pedri getting a much-needed night off before what will no doubt be a very busy run for both Another player who hasn’t had many minutes and will likely start in this one is Pablo Torre and a good performance on Saturday could help his cause in getting more minutes in bigger games thanks to the registration mess involving Dani Olmo Saturday would be the perfect opportunity to start Pau Víctor up front but the youngster is another victim of the club’s incompetence so Flick will likely be forced to use one of his best players from the start in this one We think it’ll be Raphinha on the right wing with Ansu Fati up front and Fermín López on the left completing the front trio Ferran Torres is still injured and unable to play which makes Raphinha’s start almost a guarantee How do you think Barcelona should line up against Barbastro predictions and teams in the comments below CC BY-SA 3.0.SubscribeTorreciudad in Northern Spain has grown to become a site of national pilgrimage over the decades under the care and development of Opus Dei amidst a breakdown in talks to reaffirm its canonical status the local bishop opted to appoint one of his own priests as rector triggering a standoff over who has control of the site when Opus Dei - at the time still headed by its founder Josémaria Escrivá - struck a deal with then-bishop of Barbastro The deal involved transferring the administration of the small hermitage of Torreciudad to Opus Dei “in perpetuity” The prelature agreed to renovate and operate the site and proceeded to build a large shrine around the original hermitage which was in an advanced state of disrepair after years of neglect had a personal connection to the hermitage and to the image of Our Lady contained within it because his mother had taken him to visit it when he was young to thank the Virgin Mary for having cured him from illness While Torreciudad is generally referred to as a shrine it is not really a shrine - as least not in the canonical sense in which the local bishop legally designates a site for public pilgrimage by the faithful the site was designated in the original 1962 agreement as a “semi-public oratory,” canonically intended for the use of only a particular community The description of an oratory may have fit Torreciudad at a time when it was mostly intended to serve Opus Dei and its members as devotion has outgrown the confines of the movement the site attracted around 200,000 pilgrims Opus Dei approached the diocese and requested a renewal of the agreement for the lease of the site so that Torreciudad could officially be designated a diocesan shrine The diocesan legal team told Opus Dei that they considered the prelature’s proposed changes unacceptable reportedly seeking more direct input over the site’s management and a higher annual fee from the Opus Dei which set off a series of meetings to try and negotiate a compromise the diocese informed Opus Dei’s representatives in 2022 that it considered the 1962 agreement null and void Pérez asked Opus Dei to draw up a list of three possible names to be nominated rector of the shrine saying it had always been able to nominate rectors of the shrine on its own and there was no canonical reason that it should cede this authority to the bishop in what appears to have been intended as a show of force Pérez dismissed the Opus Dei rector of the shrine and nominated his own candidate — an elderly diocesan priest who is not a member of the movement But the Opus Dei rector refused to step down and the administration of the shrine did not allow the bishop’s nominee to work as rector leaving the situation on the ground unchanged Opus Dei offered a new proposal for changes to the shrine agreement in August 2023 to which the diocese at first did not reply would allow for the bishop to choose the rector from a list of three but the prelature insisted it should only be applied after the diocese signed the new agreement both sides seem to have made an effort to keep things as civil as possible and Pérez was invited to preside over the Dec 8 celebrations for the Feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception at Torreciudad he announced that during a visit to Rome he had obtained assurances that Torreciudad could be raised to the status of diocesan shrine the diocese called for a meeting in March 2024 in response to the prelature’s proposal from the previous August The two sides had a satisfactory discussion and Opus Dei presented the diocese with a draft for a new agreement the diocesan team presented a new version of the draft and refused to compromise on any of their demands Pérez announced that he had passed the buck to Rome for the Secretariat of State and the Dicastery for Clergy to come to a decision Share What’s ultimately at the root of the dispute between the diocese and Opus Dei Neither news reports on the subject nor diocesan statements give any hint of mismanagement which would require the local Church to take over the shrine Some Spanish outlets have suggested that the issue is really about money In a lengthy Q&A on its website Opus Dei said that it receives no money from the diocese and covers all the costs of running Torreciudad itself The prelature explained that entrance fees to exhibitions at the oratory only cover 30% of the shrine’s annual expenses of over 1.3 million euros carried out by Opus Dei members and friends of the shrine all over Spain This would hardly seem like an attractive proposition for the diocese and could result in a substantial deficit for the shrine The same article from Opus Dei claims that one of the reasons negotiations have failed is because the Diocese of Barbastro has insisted on charging the prelature a higher amount of money as a contribution to the diocese — an amount Opus Dei argues is disproportionate The prelature does not say exactly how much but local media have indicated that it is around 600,000 euros a year The movement’s Q&A about Torreciudad includes a detailed description of all the costs of running the shrine and these do not include any payments to the diocese Introducing the amount requested now would make running the shrine completely impossible InfoVaticana, an influential Catholic website in Spain, has adopted a very critical position and accuses Bishop Pérez of simply wanting to take over what he sees as a very successfully run shrine especially after it has been conveniently restored and enlarged by Opus Dei In a video posted on YouTube, however, Fr. José Antonio Fortea, a popular writer in Spain, takes a different tone. He believes there is no doubt that Opus Dei is in the right, from a legal and canonical perspective. But he also thinks the bishop is acting in good faith and thinks that as ordinary of the diocese he is in fact the rightful administrator of the shrine.  As for Pérez, the bishop himself seems to believe that as devotion to Torreciudad has grown beyond the limits of the Opus Dei movement, it should now fall under his direct control, and that its official redefinition as a diocesan shrine would require his immediate oversight, rather than simple delegation of power to Opus Dei, through new statutes. It is not clear how, or when, the Vatican will respond to Pérez’s request for a decision on the matter.  It should be noted, however, that even before reaching Rome, this problem had already outgrown the relatively small diocese of Barbastro.  Opus Dei is a worldwide organization with tens of thousands of members, and what it perceives to be an unjust attack on its rights in Torreciudad has been deeply felt by Catholics around the world. It may appear that Opus Dei does not carry the same weight in Rome that it did in previous papacies, but it would be wrong to believe that the prelature does not have important friends in the curia, not to mention widespread support in Spain, where it was founded. As a result, Bishop Pérez may have placed himself in a lose-lose situation. If the Vatican rules in favor of Opus Dei, it will be seen as a personal defeat for him.  But if the Vatican decides in his favor, he may be seen as a bully who has used connections and friends in high places to wrestle a shrine from the group that saved it from ruin and transformed it into a successful and popular pilgrimage destination.  Still, a verdict from the Vatican is far from guaranteed. There is no hint as to when Rome will decide on the issue, or if it will even agree to do so. For now, both sides will continue to wait. We have a remarkable capacity in our church for shooting ourselves in the foot. ReplyShare9 more comments...LatestNo posts A public spat between the personal prelature Opus Dei and the Diocese of Barbastro-Monz\u00F3n, in northern Spain, has just been kicked up a notch, with Bishop \u00C1ngel P\u00E9rez requesting that Rome make a final decision over who has the right to run the popular pilgrimage site of Our Lady of Torreciudad.  Credit: Millars via Wikimedia. CC BY-SA 3.0.Subscribe now Torreciudad in Northern Spain has grown to become a site of national pilgrimage over the decades Jos\u00E9maria Escriv\u00E1 - struck a deal with then-bishop of Barbastro The deal involved transferring the administration of the small hermitage of Torreciudad to Opus Dei \u201Cin perpetuity\u201D.  which was in an advanced state of disrepair after years of neglect.  to thank the Virgin Mary for having cured him from illness.  the shrine was inaugurated - kind of.  in which the local bishop legally designates a site for public pilgrimage by the faithful.  the site was designated in the original 1962 agreement as a \u201Csemi-public oratory,\u201D canonically intended for the use of only a particular community while still under the care of Opus Dei.  The diocesan legal team told Opus Dei that they considered the prelature\u2019s proposed changes unacceptable reportedly seeking more direct input over the site\u2019s management and a higher annual fee from the Opus Dei the diocese informed Opus Dei\u2019s representatives in 2022 that it considered the 1962 agreement null and void.  P\u00E9rez asked Opus Dei to draw up a list of three possible names to be nominated rector of the shrine and there was no canonical reason that it should cede this authority to the bishop.  P\u00E9rez dismissed the Opus Dei rector of the shrine and nominated his own candidate \u2014 an elderly diocesan priest who is not a member of the movement and the administration of the shrine did not allow the bishop\u2019s nominee to work as rector and P\u00E9rez was invited to preside over the Dec 8 celebrations for the Feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception at Torreciudad.  he announced that during a visit to Rome he had obtained assurances that Torreciudad could be raised to the status of diocesan shrine.  in response to the prelature\u2019s proposal from the previous August and Opus Dei presented the diocese with a draft for a new agreement.  P\u00E9rez announced that he had passed the buck to Rome for the Secretariat of State and the Dicastery for Clergy to come to a decision.  Share What\u2019s ultimately at the root of the dispute between the diocese and Opus Dei Neither news reports on the subject nor diocesan statements give any hint of mismanagement which would require the local Church to take over the shrine.  In a lengthy Q&A on its website and covers all the costs of running Torreciudad itself.  The prelature explained that entrance fees to exhibitions at the oratory only cover 30% of the shrine\u2019s annual expenses of over 1.3 million euros The same article from Opus Dei claims that one of the reasons negotiations have failed is because the Diocese of Barbastro has insisted on charging the prelature a higher amount of money as a contribution to the diocese \u2014 an amount Opus Dei argues is disproportionate but local media have indicated that it is around 600,000 euros a year.  The movement\u2019s Q&A about Torreciudad includes a detailed description of all the costs of running the shrine InfoVaticana, an influential Catholic website in Spain, has adopted a very critical position and accuses Bishop P\u00E9rez of simply wanting to take over what he sees as a very successfully run shrine especially after it has been conveniently restored and enlarged by Opus Dei.  In a video posted on YouTube He believes there is no doubt that Opus Dei is in the right But he also thinks the bishop is acting in good faith and thinks that as ordinary of the diocese he is in fact the rightful administrator of the shrine.  the bishop himself seems to believe that as devotion to Torreciudad has grown beyond the limits of the Opus Dei movement it should now fall under his direct control and that its official redefinition as a diocesan shrine would require his immediate oversight rather than simple delegation of power to Opus Dei the Vatican will respond to P\u00E9rez\u2019s request for a decision on the matter.  this problem had already outgrown the relatively small diocese of Barbastro.  Opus Dei is a worldwide organization with tens of thousands of members and what it perceives to be an unjust attack on its rights in Torreciudad has been deeply felt by Catholics around the world It may appear that Opus Dei does not carry the same weight in Rome that it did in previous papacies but it would be wrong to believe that the prelature does not have important friends in the curia not to mention widespread support in Spain Bishop P\u00E9rez may have placed himself in a lose-lose situation it will be seen as a personal defeat for him.  he may be seen as a bully who has used connections and friends in high places to wrestle a shrine from the group that saved it from ruin and transformed it into a successful and popular pilgrimage destination.  a verdict from the Vatican is far from guaranteed There is no hint as to when Rome will decide on the issue Subscribe now Pablo Torre leads the way as Barcelona cruise past Barbastro 4-0 in the Copa del ReyGet Spanish Football NewsJanuary 4 2025 at 7:50 PM UTC·1 min readThe full-time whistle has just blown in the Copa del Rey clash between fourth tier Barbastro and Barcelona where Hansi Flick’s side have come out as 4-0 winners The match got off to a great start for the Catalan side when a header from Eric García put Barça ahead, amidst rumours linking him with a departure from the club and return to Girona Robert Lewandowski then doubled his side’s lead with another header in the 31st minute before getting his brace in the second half with a goal which would have been ruled offside had VAR been in play this evening Pablo Torre was the star of the show on this cold evening in Aragon along with two assists earlier in the match it was a straightforward evening for Hansi Flick’s men who will now be turning their attention to Wednesday evening when a trip to Saudi Arabia awaits as they take on Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup GSFN | Ciaran Currie Barbastro chief Josan Fierro says he’s “super happy” to have drawn Barcelona again in the Copa del Rey and has warned the Catalans his team will be out for revenge when they meet Barcelona narrowly beat the minnows 3-2 last season and the Barbastro chief is thrilled to be facing the Catalans once more “It is a joy that it is FC Barcelona and we can also have revenge for last year “If four months ago they had told me that we were going to get through a knockout round and on top of that we have gotten through two (against Amorebieta and then Espanyol) Fierro also joked that the two teams should meet every year after being paired together for the second season running “We have to establish this match as a Christmas match Last year it was on January 7th and this year it will seem like it will be on the 4th or 5th They should come to Barbastro and have a good time Then we will compete against them as we did last year,” he added “It is an important help for a modest budget like ours With the collaboration of the entities and the support of the fans Barca will know it will be a tough test after making hard work of Barbastro last season and with the fourth tier side having already knocked out Espanyol Barcelona star ruled out of Barbastro clashGet Spanish Football NewsJanuary 3 2025 at 2:45 PM UTC·1 min readBarcelona head coach Hansi Flick has confirmed that Andreas Christensen will play no part in the club’s upcoming meeting with Barbastro are primed to kick the club’s Copa del Rey endeavours for the season into gear this weekend A meeting with 2nd tier Barbastro lies in wait on Saturday evening with a place in the competition’s Last-16 at stake for the two sides Some of the less frequently utilised members of Barcelona’s squad are expected to be afforded a chance to impress in the clash with the likes of Ansu Fati and Frenkie de Jong tipped to feature from the off comes in the form of the aforementioned Andreas Christensen Defender Christensen has for his part not taken to the pitch in a competitive setting since all the way back in August After the Danish international spent recent weeks ramping up his fitness it had been suggested that his comeback could be pencilled in for Saturday Drawn on as much during his pre-match press conference this afternoon he has improved in training but it’s still too early to play in Barbastro A dominant performance and a good victory to begin the new year Barcelona are safely through to the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey thanks to a comfortable 4-0 win away to fourth tier UD Barbastro on Saturday evening in Barça’s first game of 2025 Hansi Flick’s men fully dominated the entire 90 minutes and cruised to an easy victory to book a spot in the next round of the Cup and kick off the new year in a positive way Barça were in complete control of the opening 45 minutes thanks in large part to a Barbastro side that did nothing to trouble them on the counter That was the home team’s main strategy when these two met in the Cup last year but they could never win the ball back from Barça in dangerous positions and mostly watched the Catalans pass it from side to side and between the lines quite easily The Blaugrana were somewhat wasteful in possession early on and missed a few easy passes but quickly grew into the game and started to create chances with plenty of crosses into the box and long passing sequences that resulted in several shots that forced Barbastro keeper Arnau Fàbrega into making some important saves The visitors’ main source of danger came through the air and that’s how they found their goals: the first came via a cross by Frenkie de Jong that found Ronald Araujo at the back post and his header gave Eric García an easy finish in the middle to put Barça in front Ten minutes later Pablo Torre sent a free-kick into the box and Robert Lewandowski headed it home to double the Catalans’ lead Barça continued to create pressure and had several other dangerous moments that could have easily turned into one or two more goals but they couldn’t quite find the finishing touch to seal the victory at halftime They were still comfortably ahead at the break and on their way to an easy victory on the road with 45 minutes to go replacing Pedri with Gavi to give his most important midfielder some extra rest To make things even better the Catalans sealed the victory by scoring right out of the break thanks to a gorgeous assist by Torre and a beautiful finish by Lewandowski just 70 seconds into the second half There was quite the scare right after the goal when Barbastro midfielder Jaime Ara clashed heads with Barça center-back Iñigo Martínez and had to be stretchered off with an apparent concussion and to make matters worse the home team found themselves four goals down thanks to a horrible mistake by goalkeeper Fàbrega who tried to play out from the back and gifted Torre the easiest of tap-ins into an open net The game was already over at the hour mark and Flick wasted no time in resting more of his key players as Lewandowski Iñigo and Jules Kounde all came off with a half-hour left as Barça looked for a stress-free ending to the contest and created a few more chances to add a fifth without being able to finish them The final whistle came to end a very good night for the Catalans who advance to the Round of 16 in commanding fashion Barcelona: Szczesny; Kounde (Domínguez 62’) Access all of the club's multimedia content Un estadio referente y reconocido internacionalmente por sus instalaciones modernidad y capacidad para acoger eventos durante los 365 días del año Make your reservation to visit every corner of the amazing RCDE Stadium and discover all the history of RCD Espanyol de Barcelona Feel the pre-match excitement with exclusive pitchside access to watch the players’ warm-up up close witness the starting eleven step onto the field from the tunnel And get to meet and greet the stars after the match RCD Espanyol will have 200 tickets available for their Copa del Rey 2nd Round match against UD Barbastro These will be on sale for season ticket holders at a price of €35 Tickets will be sold directly at the Campo Municipal de Barbastro ticket office but in order to purchase them they must be requested in advance from the Ticketing department (tickets@rcdespanyol.com) ID and membership number.Only one ticket will be issued per season ticket holder The deadline for requesting tickets is Monday 2nd December at 12pm The club reserve the right to cancel the ticket if the applicant does not meet the requirements set out The club itself will not be managing the trip Everything about the game on your mobile phone © 2025 Official Website of RCD Espanyol de Barcelona S.A.D Barcelona leadership united on signing 24-year-old Bundesliga talent but lack of funds complicates plans Barcelona continue to maintain interest in top Bundesliga defender despite mounting obstacles Former Barcelona captain warns Hansi Flick’s team of Inter’s threat – ‘They will not sit deep’ Premier League clubs eye Barcelona defender as exit looms Sources: Manchester United ready to offer €80 million for Barcelona captain Ferran start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Inter Milan How Real Madrid attempted a football robbery — but were stopped by FC Barcelona Ferran start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Real Madrid Olmo start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Mallorca The two alternatives Hansi Flick can explore to replace injured Lewandowski Three talking points ahead of Inter Milan vs Barcelona | UEFA Champions League Three talking points from Real Valladolid 1-2 Barcelona | La Liga Raphinha 8.5 | Real Valladolid 1-2 Barcelona: Player ratings Three talking points ahead of Real Valladolid vs Barcelona | La Liga GW 34 Three talking points from Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan Three key battles that could decide Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund Mbappe arrived but Barcelona evolved: Flick’s tactical triumph over Real Madrid’s Galactico attack Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona’s ageless goal machine leading the title charge Beyond transfers: Deco’s blueprint for Barcelona’s long-term success Back at the top: Pedri reclaims his throne as the best midfielder in the world Marc Casado: Barcelona’s next great pivot Ranking all 15 La Masia talents that made their Barcelona debut under Xavi Barcelona talented La Masia graduate’s market value rises to €75 million Barcelona delighted with the progress of 15-year-old La Masia talent – report ‘La Masia is the essence of Barça’ – Barcelona academy gem reacts after La Liga debut Deco wants to build Barcelona’s future with La Masia Barcelona will play their first game of 2025 later this weekend when they lock horns with minnows UD Barbastro in the Copa del Rey Round of 32 the Catalans continued preparations today at Ciutat Esportiva amidst all the noise surrounding the re-registration issue of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor Mundo Deportivo now reports that Barcelona manager Hansi Flick called up two young talents from La Masia – Dani Rodriguez and Toni Fernandez – to train with the first-team setup today the teenage attackers have a very good chance of making it to the squad list for the weekend trip to face Barbastro Barça could do with additional options in attack considering that Lamine Yamal returned to full training only today after a spell out on the sidelines due to injury Ferran Torres is also out with a soleus issue and is set to miss the cup tie there remain doubts about the availability of Olmo and Victor due to their registration saga And with there being a strong possibility that Raphinha will be rested Flick needs more options in attack – which is where Dani and Toni enter the picture Rodriguez began the season recovering from a hamstring injury the 19-year-old winger has delivered standout performances for Barça Atletic tallying three goals and two assists in just four matches who participated in pre-season with the first team was sidelined in mid-October due to an ankle problem from which he returned towards the end of the year the 16-year-old prodigy had managed two goals and one assist in four appearances for Barça Atletic this term Flick has not been shy of handing opportunities to young talent from La Masia and Rodriguez and Toni could stand to benefit this weekend Achievements • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy • Licensed Images • Copyright © 2017 - 2024 Barca Universal - info@barcauniversal.com 2025 starts with a Copa del Rey round of 32 tie against the very same side that they played at this stage 12 months ago reached the round for the very time last season the fourth tier side have managed to repeat the trick they have ended up being drawn against the Catalan giants yet again Like all games in the cup until the semi-finals, it is being played as a single leg, and kicks off at the home of the lower ranked club on Saturday at 7pm CET. As this is the cup, the broadcasters in certain countries and regions may be different for this game than in other competitions. Hopefully our guide will help you find the right place to watch On paper there is an immense gulf between these teams Barça are currently ranked second in the Champions League and third in La Liga while Barbastro are not only playing four division below them they will be dropping down to an even lower tier next season Barbastro have already eliminated first division Espanyol 2-0 to get this far and the game against Barça last season is all the proof that's needed to realise that this will be no easy ride for Barça Despite the Catalans fielding a near full-strength starting XI and twice taking the lead through Fermín and Raphinha Barbastro twice equalised and it was only thanks to a late penalty from Robert Lewandowski that the game didn't go into extra time and potentially a replay The Barbastro side that Barça will be facing this year has changed a lot in 12 months although there are several players that are still the same And things have improved for them since they beat Espanyol They're unbeaten in the league and finally finding the form that they need to avoid relegation Two decades have passed since the last time they were knocked out of the cup so early when they tumbled to a shock 1-0 defeat at Gramenet a Division 2B team at the time from the outskirts of metropolitan Barcelona Marc Bernal, Marc-André ter Stegen and Andreas Christensen are all still injured, and although Lamine Yamal and Héctor Fort were both able to join part of training this week It will be interesting to see what happens in goal whether Iñaki Peña will continue between the posts or whether new recruit Wojciech Szczęsny will given the nod in the cup 🚨 SQUAD LIST 🚨 pic.twitter.com/WDktAw8vKl As for the Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor situation, the coach said: "Things are as they are, we have to accept them, we are professionals. I am concentrating on football and training. We have confidence in the club. I am always positive but we have to wait for the decision." Get the full story from the pre-game conference here 2nd Barcelona star returns to training ahead of Copa meeting with BarbastroGet Spanish Football NewsJanuary 2 2025 at 9:05 PM UTC·1 min readLa Liga giants Barcelona welcomed not one but two players back into the fold in training at The Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Thursday This comes amid confirmation that both Lamine Yamal and Héctor Fort are closing on full fitness Wide-man Lamine has for his part been sidelined since the middle of last month owing to an ankle sprain suffered whilst lining out against Leganés was left out of Hansi Flick’s matchday squad to face Atlético Madrid in Barcelona’s final fixture prior to the festive break that all of a Blaugrana persuasion will no doubt be delighted to hear of the pair being given the green light to resume physical activities As confirmed by a number of sources across the Spanish media both Lamine and Fort were spotted back in group training earlier today It now remains to be seen if either is called up for Barca’s upcoming Copa del Rey meeting with Barbastro this weekend 18 years separate them, but 4 January 2025 will always be a special date for Wojciech Szczęsny and Toni Fernández who both made their debuts for FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey match with Barbastro The Polish goalkeeper came out of retirement to join the club as cover for the injured Ter Stegen while the Catalan striker is yet another promising starlet to have emerged from La Masia Szczęsny will be delighted to have a kept a clean sheet as Iñaki Peña was rested for the evening the Polish stopper never had much to do on a night that Barça utterly dominated their opponent and came home with a 4-0 win Barbastro only managed to muster a single attempt on Szczęsny's goal Toni Fernández didn't come on until the 81st minute as a replacement for Pablo Torre setting up a great chance for Ansu Fati and coming close to scoring himself he has become the second youngest player to play for Barça in the 21st century Fernández has been at the club since joining from Espanyol in 2018 and is the cousin of another promising player at La Masia he has consistently being playing at higher categories than those expected for his age and has nevertheless been delivering great performances and a number of goals This year with Barça Atlètic he has scored two goals and given one assist in just five matches and he has also been called up to the first team Barcelona have been drawn to face Barbastro in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey It’s the second year in a row that the two teams will meet in the competition Barbastro have already caused a shock in the tournament this season by knocking out Espanol The ties are on legged affairs and will be played on the 3-5th January 2025 Barcelona forward hoping for redemption in key Copa Del Rey clashBarca UniversalDecember 24 2024 at 6:20 AM UTC·2 min readAfter experiencing the worst run in 16 years FC Barcelona will look to return to winning ways as they take on Barbastro on January 4 Barça will take on the fourth-tier opponent in a Round of 32 clash of the Copa Del Rey – a game where Hansi Flick is likely to rest his key players will have one eye on the key Supercup encounter against Athletic Club on January 8 will present Flick with an opportunity to start some of the more under-utilised first-team stars It was already reported that Frenkie de Jong is expected to start against Barbastro But the Dutchman won’t be the only first-team star featuring in this contest According to Diario SPORT Ansu Fati is tipped to start against Barbastro having recently returned from a brief injury layoff (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)Fati was able to make the team against Atletico Madrid but was an unused substitute But the Copa Del Rey encounter will present an excellent opportunity for the young attacker to prove his mettle it must be noted that Fati will continue to face an uncertain future at Barcelona regardless of his performance against Barbastro Fati and his representative have sent a clear message to Barcelona about the player’s desire to continue in Catalonia Fati is willing to fight for his place in the team he needs to perform against Barbastro at all costs Barcelona, for their part, are unlikely to consider any new exits in January OneFootball's home page Search Settings Sign In Sign InJoinBarcelona into Copa del Rey last 16 after Barbastro rout | OneFootballOneFootball Barcelona booked their place in the Copa del Rey's last-16 with a 4-0 rout over Barbastro. Barbastro0Barcelona403:05Scorers: García 21' Eric García broke the deadlock for Hansi Flick's side with a powerful header after Ronald Araújo headed Frenkie de Jong's ball across the face of goal The Blaugrana doubled their lead just 10 minutes later courtesy of Robert Lewandowski meeting Pablo Torre's free kick to the far post Lewandowski extended his tally from a clinical finish after being teed up inside the penalty area by Torre Provider turned poacher later on by seizing on a botched clearance by the hosts' goalkeeper Arnau Fàbrega which allowed him to slot home comfortably Related NewsReal Madrid continue referee videos following Copa del Rey controversy Real Madrid star has been taking painkillers for 8 months just to train Real Madrid learn length of Antonio Rudiger ban after Copa del Rey red card Antonio Rudiger banned for six games after throwing object at referee in feisty Copa del Rey final More trouble for Real Madrid as defender ruled out for three months 4️⃣ things to look out for in the Champions League this week The Champions League returns with a bang this week as the finalists will be determined following some tense first leg action.Here is what to look out for...⚔️ Match of the... Man United hold talks in “recent hours” with Victor Osimhen’s agents over sensational summer deal The three players Xabi Alonso has requested Real Madrid to sign – report Barcelona name starting XI for Copa del Rey clash with BarbastroOneFootballJanuary 7 2025 at 3:18 PM UTCBarcelona have named their starting XI for Saturday's Copa del Rey clash with Barbastro Here's how Hansi Flick's side are lining up in their Round of 32 tie: The Blaugrana are without Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor as the club continues to battle to register them for the second half of the season with LaLiga Barcelona will travel to minnows Barbastro for their first Copa del Rey match of the season on Saturday.The Catalans will be looking to return to winning ways after their last-minute defeat to Atletico Madrid in their last La Liga match which was their second consecutive defeat and saw them drop to third place Barbastro pulled off a major surprise in their previous Copa del Rey fixture by defeating La Liga side Espanyol 2-0 to advance to the next round The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game Here's how to watch this Copa del Rey match in the U.S.: TV channel: —Live stream: ESPN+ This game is not available for live TV broadcast in the United States. Streaming options are available on ESPN App and ESPN+ For a limited time get 12 months of ESPN+ for the price of 9 with the purchase of an annual plan Stream your favorite teams live and enjoy more sports anywhere with an ESPN+ subscription WATCH:Best of Copa del Rey action LIVE on ESPN+ This Copa del Rey clash takes place at the Estadio Municipal de Deportes in Barbastro Here's how that time translates across the U.S.: Barcelona will be without teenage Andreas Christensen who are all sidelined with different injuries Dani Olmo and Pau Victor are unavailable as they are unregistered at the moment With this game coming after a long break for Barcelona Hansi Flick could go with a strong starting 11 with Wojciech Szczesny and Ronald Araujo possibly being involved for the first time this season Lamine Yamal.Suspended: NoneUnregistered: Victor Andres Barerra will be the player to keep an eye on for the hosts with the left-wing back registering nine goal contributions so far this season for Barbastro Marc Prat is another player who could make a difference and will form Barbastro's attacking trio with Javier Albin and Ander El Haddadi These two sides met for the first time in last year's Copa del Rey with Barcelona narrowly emerging as winners with a 3-2 victory Barcelona should win this match comfortably while fielding their fringe players from the start Abhinav Nair is a sports writer at The Sporting News covering everything from football to NASCAR he graduated from Ambedkar University with a master’s degree in history Abhinav likes playing badminton and watching mystery shows Abhinav covered the 2022 FIFA World Cup for Goal #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc {\n background: #fff;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgb(0 0 0 / 20%);\n height: auto;\n margin: 0;\n min-width: 100%;\n overflow: hidden;\n padding: 24px 115px;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc .inner-container {\n opacity: 1;\n transition: opacity 0.318s ease-in;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container .text-container As much stems from the aftermath of the club’s meeting with Barbastro Barcelona were of course back in action on Saturday evening making the trip to minnows Barbastro with a spot in the Last-16 of the Copa del Rey on the line the Blaugrana made short work of their underdog opponents thanking goals on the part of all of Eric García Robert Lewandowski (2) and Pablo Torre for a 4-0 triumph Playing a leading role in his side’s eventual victory was Frenkie de Jong afforded a rare start in the middle of the park at the Estadio Municipal And it was a moment involving the Dutchman which went on to pique widespread attentions amongst the Barca faithful post-match after making his way onto the pitch to greet his players following the full-time whistle Evidently keen for the midfielder not to catch any sort of sickness The exchange between the pair can be seen below: — BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) January 4, 2025 Ohtani was back at loanDepot park on Monday for the first time since he became MLB’s first 50/50 player Aaron Gordon hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds after the Thunder opted to quickly foul repeatedly with a lead down the stretch popped and splashed a mammoth triple with 2.8 seconds to go as Denver finished the game on a 19-6 run to blindside top-seeded Oklahoma City according to a Monday update to a GoFundMe page raising money for his recovery Tyler Callihan broke multiple bones in his left forearm and is now set to have surgery becoming the first team in postseason history to take 60 3s and setting a playoff record with 45 misses The Baltimore Ravens announced on Monday that they are releasing kicker Justin Tucker Here's what to know for the second-round matchup between the Timberwolves and Warriors the hosts of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast" took a look at the Padres' strengths and weaknesses Shota Imanaga pulled up awkwardly while trying to cover first on Sunday in Milwaukee and had to leave the game early Max Scherzer will be eligible to return on May 29 Fred Zinkie examines this week's widely available two-start pitchers but warns it won't be easy to find help Fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus examines the playoff exit — and future — of the Los Angeles Clippers Trent Alexander-Arnold said he'll always be a Liverpool fan in a video announcing his decision Stephen Curry and Draymond Green leaned on their championship experience — and another battle-tested vet in Jimmy Butler — to take Game 7 and advance to face the Timberwolves smart money has Rodgers and the Steelers getting something done just before the June full-squad minicamp The Mets have lost their 34th game of the season for 16 consecutive years now The Warriors successfully avoided blowing another 3-1 series lead on Sunday night Barcelona youngster has earned himself a new nickname after performance vs BarbastroGet Spanish Football NewsJanuary 5 2025 at 6:53 PM UTC·1 min readBarcelona starlet Pablo Torre has this weekend been the recipient of a new nickname on the part of his teammates in Hansi Flick’s squad This comes owing to his performance in the club’s latest outing Barcelona were of course back in action last night making the trip to minnows Barbastro for a Copa del Rey Last-32 clash And it was the aforementioned Torre who proved himself the star of the show en route to Man of the Match honours at the Estadio Municipal Afforded a rare starting berth by boss Flick the 21-year-old dazzled from his berth in attacking midfield It was specifically his delivery from set-pieces one of which culminated in Robert Lewandowski nodding home which earned for Torre a new nickname in Catalunya’s capital The likes of Héctor Fort and Eric García have today taken to social media to liken their teammate to English football icon and former Real Madrid star David Beckham: Hansi Flick's plan for the trip to Barbastro in the Copa del Rey played out to perfection. There were no surprises as his side pulled off a 4-0 win against the fourth tier side to book their place in the last 16 of this year's competition "We were focused, just as we wanted," confessed the coach after the victory before commenting on the return of defender Ronald Araujo "He's a true leader and we have seen what he can do It's great to have him back and for him to have played 90 minutes," said Flick of the Uruguayan The return of Ansu Fati and the performance of Frenkie de Jong and Pablo Torre also caught his eye adding "if they can stay fit then everyone has a chance of playing Flick said he should be back for the Spanish Super Cup in midweek whilst Raphinha sat out the Copa del Rey due to a small fitness problem despite having trained all week Barbastro captain Javito López has been looking ahead to the weekend’s Copa del Rey tie with Barcelona and is hoping to cause an upset The two teams meet in the competition for the second year running and Lopez is dreaming of a late winner for the minnows to provide a fairytale win let it not be a whirlwind for them and let’s stay close a 1-0 in the 90th minute would be great,” he told Mundo Deportivo with a smile We are not going to be so reckless about being new about experiencing a match like this for the first time It is true that we have something very much against us “Many people tell us that we will see if it goes as well but it is very difficult to achieve what we have achieved we will try to enjoy the match and try to play without fear or dread of what might happen.” Barca are obviously hot favourites but will know that last year they only ran out narrow 3-2 winners and that Barbastro have already knocked Espanyol out of the tournament Barça look to end weeks of bad news on and off the pitch and start the new year with a big win Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Marc-André ter Stegen How to watch on TV: Startimes World Football (Nigeria), Movistar (Spain), others How to watch online: ESPN+ (USA), FanCode (India), Movistar+ (Spain), others 2025 is here and Barcelona kick off the January schedule with their Copa del Rey season debut and a Round of 32 one-legged tie away to Barbastro at the Estadio Municipal de Barbastro on Saturday evening These two sides met exactly one year ago at this same stage of the tournament in the first weekend of 2024 with Barça winning a thriller and suffering a lot more than they had to against a fourth tier team Barbastro remain in the fourth division and are currently third worst in their group but are on a four-game unbeaten streak which includes a commanding 2-0 win over Barça’s local rivals Espanyol in what has been the biggest upset in the Copa del Rey so far and will look to remain strong at the back and use their pace up front to try and pull off the upset of the century But the truth is this isn’t about the opponent: Barça’s biggest enemy ahead of Saturday is themselves and they need to find a way to get out of their own way Their horrendous form since the middle of November has been a tale of missed chances and frustrating losses and the hope is that the two-week holiday break was enough to help the players get back to a good mental space so they can finish their opportunities and stop snatching defeat from the jaws of victory It is also undeniable that the mess regarding the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor has been an unnecessary distraction as the team looks to get back on track but it’s time we all accept that you can’t spell FC Barcelona without D-R-A-M-A and the team needs to find a way to ignore the noise and focus on their jobs Barbastro will be confident they can take advantage of Barça’s bad form and use the energy from what will certainly be an incredible home crowd to pull off the unthinkable but the Catalans should be able to win relatively easy if they just keep it simple and get out of their own way the same Barça from the first three months of the season Barça’s form at the end of 2024 was horrendous It’s hard to see anything in a positive light right now but I’ll choose to believe the holiday break was good for this team and they’re ready to return to their best: 3-0 to the good guys