Barcelona 1-0 Real Sociedad: Dembele books Copa del Rey semifinal spot
The Frenchman was scintillating and scored the only goal of the game
Ousmane Dembele's second-half strike booked Barcelona a place in the Copa del Rey semifinal as they beat Real Sociedad 1-0 at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Dembele struck in the 52nd minute after La Real had been reduced to 10 men in the first half following Brais Mendez's challenge on Sergio Busquets.
Barca missed chances to kill off the game and were almost made to pay when La Real finished with a late flurry, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen making two good saves after Alexander Sorloth missed an open goal.
Xavi picked his strongest team to face a La Real side that came into the game on a nine-game winning run.
Barca started well and dominated the early exchanges but could not find the breakthrough. Robert Lewandowski had one shot deflected wide and another hit Frenkie de Jong, who was offside, on the way in.
De Jong, Dembele and Jules Kounde also had chances but La Real withheld the pressure.
Mendez was then sent off in the 40th minute and Dembele opened the scoring in the 52nd, latching on to Jules Kounde's pass before firing past Alex Remiro.
Barca missed chances to double their lead -- notably Gavi hitting the bar -- and in the end were holding on after Sorloth's candidate for miss of the season.
Substitutes Robert Navarro and Jon Ander Olasagasti both had late chances, too, but were denied by Ter Stegen as Barça held on to progress to the last four.
