Hansi Flick rang the changes for Barcelona's trip to the Pedro Escartin to face third-tier Guadalajara, and while quality still filled the pitch, the Blaugrana were made to work far harder than expected in their first Copa del Rey outing of the season, Softfootball reports.
Fresh from a comfortable 2-0 La Liga win over Osasuna , Barcelona were widely tipped to cruise through this tie. In fact, Softfootball's pre-match preview had boldly predicted a 5-0 rout a forecast that proved wildly optimistic as Guadalajara delivered a disciplined and courageous performance.
A delayed kick-off, caused by fans filtering into temporary stands, set the tone for an unusual evening. Once underway, the opening exchanges were cagey in the cold conditions, with Barcelona dominating possession but struggling to break down a well-organised home defence. Fermin Lopez went closest before the break with a swerving effort from distance, while Eric Garcia twice found space in the box for free headers one comfortably saved, the other glanced over the bar.
