Barcelona Reach Last Four of Copa del Rey with Dembele Inspiration

Late Goal Secures Semi-Final Spot

Ousmane Dembele's late goal secured a 1-0 win for Barcelona over Real Sociedad in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday night, sending the Catalans into the semi-finals. The match kicked off at 9:00 PM local time in Spain (7:00 PM in the UK and Ireland), and it was a tense affair throughout.

Lineups Announced

The lineups for the match were announced before kickoff, with Barcelona making several changes from the team that beat Valencia in their last La Liga outing. Frenkie de Jong, who had been out with a minor injury, returned to the starting lineup, while Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha were also given starts. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, were without David Silva and Mikel Oyarzabal through injury.

Dembele's Winning Goal

The match was evenly contested in the first half, with both teams having chances to score. However, it was Barcelona who took the lead in the 52nd minute when Dembele fired home a low shot from just inside the area. Real Sociedad pushed for an equalizer in the remaining minutes, but they were unable to find a way through the Barcelona defense. The win means that Barcelona have now reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time since 2021.