“The brothers’ cooked” — Williams brothers heroics KNOCK Barcelona out of Copa del Rey, fans erupt in praise

FC Barcelona have had their party spoiled yet again, and this time round, the ‘credit’ goes to the Inaki brothers. The defending La Liga champions were knocked out of the Copa del Rey emphatically as Athletic Club scored twice in extra-time to send Barcelona packing. Goals from both Inaki and Nico Williams made Barcelona fell 4-2 at the hands of former coach Ernesto Valverde.

Barcelona and Xavi have now started feeling the pressure, as a loss to Real Madrid on the 15th and Athletic on Wednesday mean they only have La Liga and the Champions League to compete for. Barcelona struggled against Athletic from the very start after going behind shortly after kick-off. A Defensive ‘disaster’ ended in the ball falling invitingly to Gorka Guruzeta, who made no mistake of finishing his chance.

Barca struck back through Robert Lewandowski before Lamine Yamal then produced a sublime finish from outside the box to give Barcelona the lead for the first time. Oihan Sancet made a leaping header to draw his side level, four minutes into the second half.

Yamal also had a golden opportunity to win it for his side, when he dribbled past the keeper but saw his shot go above the crossbar. Extra-time saw Barcelona fall to the brilliance of the Inaki brothers.

Fans echo praise for Nico and Inaki Williams as Barcelona crash out of Copa del Rey

The footballing community on social media has been buzzing ever since Barcelona were knocked out of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night. Rival fans have made a meal out of the loss as club supporters expressed their frustration and disappointment. Several rival fans spammed laughing emojis, ridiculing Barcelona’s misery this season. Some even predicted that Barcelona would go trophyless this year.

Some blamed Lamine Yamal for the elimination, blaming him for his ‘horrible’ miss towards the end of the game. There was an outpour of praise for Inaki Williams, who had just returned from AFCON after Ghana’s group-stage elimination. A Fan said that he came back just in time to kick out Barcelona. Others pointed out how Williams performing Jude Bellingham‘s trademark celebration added to their joy.

Many Barcelona fans started a ‘Xavi OUT’ campaign after the club winning silverware this season looks unlikely. Many also highlighted Frenkie de Jong‘s and Pedri‘s ‘forgettable’ performances on the night. With 18 games to go in La Liga, the club has 44 points and is 8 points behind table toppers Girona. As for the Champions League, they have been drawn to face Napoli in the Round of 16.

In case you missed it:

• Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone slams VAR over Real Madrid controversy, claims referees have been ‘paralyzed’
• Italian football legend Fabio Capello claims Kylian Mbappe is a ‘better footballer’ than Erling Haaland

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW