Copa del Rey Finals between Sevilla and FC Barcelona - A finals to remember and cherish


Copa del Rey Finals between Sevilla and FC Barcelona

April 21, 2018



A finals to remember and cherish forever for Barca and Iniesta



It was Iniesta’s last Cope del Rey game as the beloved Barca magician looks set to leave FC Barcelona at the end of this season. It was also time to erase the pain of the Champions League exit. That was more than enough for Barca to put up an inspired show at the Wanda Metropolitano.  

It was a full strength Barcelona that was fielded by Valverda and they came out all guns blazing. They never gave the stunned Sevilla any time or space as they chalked out attack after attack. All of Sevilla were forced to defend and run behind the Barca players in search of the ball. Whenever Barca gave away the ball, they were quick to win it back. Sevilla was left gasping for breath. Whenever they attacked, Pique and Umtiti were upto the task with the rest doing their bit commendably.

Within the first 10 minutes Messi had a lovely free-kick saved by Soria as he tipped it over. All the aggression naturally had to end in a goal. And that’s exactly what happened. A long ball from Cilissen started a counter for Barca. Coutinho was able to find Luis Saurez with a lovely pass which the burly Uruguayan finished off with aplomb. Surprisingly it was Suarez’s first goal in a Copa del Rey finals. Sevilla started to find their footing and attacked more after the first Barca goal. But they lacked the firepower of a good striker.

Meanwhile Iniesta and  Alba were combining well each other as well as with the lurking Messi, creating some interesting moves. Iniesta’s ambitious shot hit the woodwork.  In another 15 minutes came the next one. A neat one two between Iniesta and Alba, had Alba in the Sevilla box. He sent in a back heel which was met by Messi and the chief tormentor of Sevilla was only too pleased to finish it off with his swinging left foot to make it 2-0. It was Leo’s 40th goal of the season (an incredible 9th time in as many years) and he had scored in 5 Copa del Rey finals till now – the 2nd player to achieve it after Thelmo Zarra.



Barcelona continued their relentless attacks and Luis Suarez got the ball from the middle. He passed it on to Messi and moved forward. The magical Messi sent in a magnificent pass which got past three Sevilla defenders and found Suarez with pin point precision. (Wait! Was that Xavi?). Luis Suarez was not in a mood to miss and he found his mark making it 3-0 for Barcelona at half time. Sevilla looked shattered and many fans in the stadium wept in despair as their team crumbled.

The 2nd half was no different. Barcelona were on the attack from the word go. Luis Suarez gave the ball to Iniesta who in turn passed it to Messi. Messi waited a second and gave a sweet through pass to the advancing Iniesta on the right. Iniesta beautifully rounded the goalkeeper and sent in a sublime right foot from a very tight angle to make it 4-0 for Barcelona. Time seem to stand still - it was just like old days as the two little guys of Barca combined to create magic, probably for the last time in a Copa del Rey match. The warmth of that celebration said it all as everyone smothered their captain with hugs and kisses.

Another free kick from Messi found Suarez but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper Soria. The ball bounced on to Umtiti but his effort was again saved by the alert Soria. With so much happening, how could Countinho be left out? He had a good game and was instrumental in a number of attacks. A neat one two between the former Liverpool mates – Suarez and Coutinho saw Coutinho finish it off. But the referee had blown the whistle for a handball by a Sevilla defender. Coutinho took the resulting penalty to score his first goal for Barcelona in a final and made it 5-0 for a deserving Barcelona.

Sevilla found themselves stepping into a nightmare and it was becoming worse by the minute. After going up 5-0, Barcelona took their foot of the pedal. Sevilla did get a few chances to attack, but Cilissen and co were not ready to concede even an inch. Thankfully for the battered Sevilla, it all ended in 90 minutes.

It was the first trophy for FC Barcelona this season, under Valverde and it was truly an awesome display by his team. The Atletico Madrid fortress looked like Camp Nou, with the spirited Barcelona fans filling up the stadium with their signature colors and songs and much to their joy, their team turned up in style.  It was a joy to watch a Barca team in full flow, with Messi and Iniesta being at their lethal best. Barcelona had now won a record 30 Copa del Rey finals. Congratulations Champions. 


But tonight it was all about Andres Iniesta, as his teammates rallied hard for their brilliant midfield maestro. Every one of them wanted to make it an unforgettable one for their legendary captain. And memorable it was, for the man who had given millions of football fans, numerous jaw dropping moments to cherish. As he was substituted in the game, a teary eyed and emotional Iniesta was given a standing ovation (as always) by Barcelona and Sevilla fans alike. As he held aloft the Copa del Rey, with the FC Barcelona captain’s armband, for one last time, one more glorious chapter was added to his immortal legacy. Hopefully Barca will finish off on a high with the Spanish League title to make it a magnificent double for the irreplaceable and legendary Iniesta, as he bids adieu.

Vamos Barca! Visca Barca!




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