Cornella 0-2 Barcelona aet: Dembele and Braithwaite goals barely enough
The third-tier minnows took Koeman's team to extra-time after they missed two penalties
Barcelona are in the Copa del Rey last 16. Stop reading there if you want, or come on in for a tale of missed penalties and general woe.
The Catalans were without Lionel Messi and without inspiration against neighbours Cornella, on a fake pitch in Spain’s third tier. They are taken to extra-time for the third game in a row after both Spanish Super Cup matches went the full 120.
And, like against Athletic Bilbao, an early extra time goal won the game but this time Barca scored it themselves, through Ousmane Dembele’s blast.
He kicked the ball with fury, having wasted a good chance to win the match in normal time, when he fluffed a penalty, saved by Ramon Juan. It was the second spot kick he had kept out, after Miralem Pjanic was denied in the first half.
The goalkeeper’s special night also saw him tip a Pjanic drive onto the crossbar, but maybe could have done more from Dembele’s long shot.
There was nothing the goalkeeper could do with the second, scored at the death by Martin Braithwaite.
The Danish forward had been guilty of two bad misses during the game but he netted from Pedri’s pass (how unselfish!) to kill the game with the final kick.
If Messi does leave in the summer, Barcelona need to do a lot better than this without him.
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