Barcelona crashes out of the Copa del Rey in extra time, La Liga leader Girona also knocked out

On Wednesday, Barcelona was defeated for the second time in the cup in the past two weeks. They lost 4-2 in extra time in a quarterfinal match against Athletic Bilbao which was a downhearted moment for Barcelona.

After playing for 90 minutes with a score of 2-2, Bilbao managed to win in the extra time thanks to the goals scored by Iñaki and Nico Williams, who are brothers.

Iñaki Williams achieved an impressive feat by making it to the match, despite just arriving from the Ivory Coast on the same day of the game. He played for the Ghana team, but they were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations following a tie with Mozambique last Monday. Then, on Wednesday morning, he flew back to Spain and met with his Bilbao colleagues for the cup fixture.

Barcelona was dealt another significant defeat, following their loss to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup earlier this month. They are currently trailing by eight points in La Liga, but the team can find solace in their upcoming match against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League, scheduled for February.

"I feel quite let down since we lost the trophy, especially after going into extra time," commented Xavi, the coach for Barcelona, in an emotional statement following the match. "However, I can't help but feel proud of our youthful team members as they gave an incredible performance."

The location proved to be a challenge due to the fact that Athletic is a team known for their intense and aggressive playing style, making them the most physically dominant team in the league.

The start of the game was terrible for Barça because they were unable to remove the ball from inside the box due to being under pressure from the home team. Even worse, they fell behind after just 35 seconds when Gorka Guruzeta scored by volleying the ball into the net after a rebound.

Barcelona got lucky when they scored the equalizer in the 25th minute. Robert Lewandowski managed to block Yuri Berchiche's clearance, causing the ball to bounce off the Polish forward and go straight into the goal.

The second goal made by the visitors was not a result of luck. The young and talented Lamine Yamal grabbed possession of the ball on the right-wing and maneuvered himself to the edge of the penalty area. Then, he delivered an impressive strike with his left foot that smoothly glided into the net.

During the game, the 16-year-old achieved an outstanding feat in Copa del Rey history. He broke a record and now holds the title of the youngest player to score in the competition so far this century.

During the second half, Oihan Sancet managed to score a goal for Bilbao by using his head to hit the ball into the net from a cross delivered by Nico Williams.

Throughout the remainder of normal play, both teams had opportunities to score, but neither could gain an advantage, resulting in additional time.

Just before the end of the first half of extra time, Athletic scored a significant goal - Iñaki Williams received a pass and shot the ball towards the post. Fortunately, luck was on their side this time as the ball bounced back directly to Williams for an easy goal.

Nico, his little brother, ended the game just before the final whistle blew. He scored a goal using the outer part of his right shoe, ensuring a victory for the Lehoiak team.

Girona is the big surprise of this Spanish football season, as they are unexpectedly challenging for the title despite only being in their fourth season in La Liga.

Mallorca, who is ranked 14 places below Girona and has 30 fewer points in La Liga, took a surprising 3-0 lead during the first half of their home game, surprising the top team in the league.

The match between Girona and Mallorca saw a chance for Girona to make a comeback after Mallorca's captain Antonio Raíllo was given a red card and Cristhian Stuani managed to score from a penalty kick to reduce the goal difference. However, despite having only 10 players, Mallorca managed to defend their lead and prevent Girona from scoring any more goals.

Sávio, a forward from Brazil, managed to score a goal during the sixth minute of added time, bringing the final score to 3-2. However, this was not enough to save the game for the visiting team. Their primary objective now is to focus solely on the league.