Barça reached the final of the Copa del Rey Juvenil after defeating Damm, Athletic Club, and Real Betis in the knockout rounds. They faced Real Zaragoza in this decisive match, who had come from winning against Las Palmas in the semifinals. The match would determine who would be the champion of Spain in one of the most prestigious youth soccer competitions.
Beyond this Copa final, the blaugrana team is in great form and remains alive in all competitions. They are the first in the División de Honor with a 7-point lead over the second place and will face Stuttgart in the quarterfinals of the Youth League.
From Juan to Arnau and From Arnau to Juan
Barça comes out strong, and the first chances of the match are for Belletti's team. Zaragoza waits in a low block and tries to take advantage of some transition. Juan Hernández had the first chance of the match after a magnificent play down the wing by Pedro Rodríguez.
The first two goals of the match had the same protagonists. The first goal comes thanks to a lateral cross from Juan Hernández, which Arnau Pradas finishes with quality. In the 17th minute, two minutes later, they switch roles, and Arnau assists Juan to make it 2-0 on the scoreboard.
The Juvenil A's 'Pichichi' Makes It 3-0
Despite the lead on the scoreboard, the dynamic of the match remains the same. Barça keeps attacking, and Zaragoza defends. In the 30th minute of the match, the opportunity came for Hugo Alba, Barça's 'Pichichi,' who headed an impeccable cross from Brian Fariñas into the back of the net at the near post.
Barça's match is perfect in every sense, and the feeling at halftime is that the result could be more lopsided. With the match practically decided, Belletti decided to substitute Pedro Rodríguez to bring in Tomás Marqués in the midfield at halftime.
Juan Hernández and Hugo Alba Complete the Rout
Before reaching the 60th minute, Juan Hernández appeared again to finish at the near post and make it 4-0. Zaragoza tries to withstand Barça's onslaughts, but they practically don't get past midfield and haven't managed to shoot on goal.
In the 65th minute, it couldn't be anyone else to close the rout than Hugo Alba. Marcos Parriego set it up on a platter after a play down the wing so that Barça's center forward only had to push it in. With this brace, the Masia's 'killer' has already scored 24 goals this season across all competitions.