Xtratime Web Desk: FC Barcelona put on a scintillating display of quality football on last Saturday night to clinch what became their 31st Copa Del Rey trophy. It was after a gap of over 700 days that this prestigious club won a trophy. In a game which saw a rather dormant first half, Barcelona ran rampant in the second to trounce Athletic Bilbao by 4-0. The game saw brilliant performances being put in by Lionel Messi, who registered two goals, and Frenkie De Jong, who bagged a goal and two assists.
Barcelona were dominant in terms of possession and ball control, but failed to muster too many game-changing chances till about the 60th minute, when De Jong put in a beautiful ball for Griezmann, who subsequently put it in the back of the net. This helped open up a procession of goals for them, and by the time the 72nd minute rolled around, they were already bagging their fourth.
This victory for Barcelona means that Bilbao has now lost two Copa Del Rey finals in the span of about 15 days, on account of the delayed 2020 finals being played this month as well. It will surely be difficult for the Basque side to bounce back from the disappointment, but on the other hand, Barcelona fans must be elated. With Barcelona back in the title picture and this Cup win, this year could turn out to be surprisingly productive for the Catalan giants.
Mehul Bhattacharya