Yamal scores as Barcelona beats Albacete to reach Copa del Rey semifinals
Barcelona defeated Albacete 2-1 away on Tuesday. Lamine Yamal scored in the 39th minute, extending his goal streak across four consecutive matches in three competitions.
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Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey semifinals on Tuesday, defeating second-tier Albacete 2-1 away to become the first side to secure a semifinal berth in this year's competition.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a precise strike to the far post. Captain Ronald Araujo added a second-half goal from a corner kick to put Barcelona in control. Javier Moreno pulled one back for Albacete in the 87th minute, and the hosts nearly equalized in stoppage time when an effort was cleared off the Barcelona line.
The victory allowed Barcelona to stay on course to defend the Copa del Rey trophy won last year. Albacete had eliminated Real Madrid in the previous round before facing the Catalan club.
With his goal against Albacete, the 18-year-old Yamal extended a scoring streak across four consecutive matches in three different competitions. He scored against Real Oviedo in LaLiga, then Copenhague in the Champions League, followed by Elche in the domestic league, and Albacete in the Copa del Rey. According to reports, this streak matches one previously achieved by Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
Yamal's goal brought his tally to 39 in 144 official matches with Barcelona's first team. This surpassed the previous club record of 38 goals set by Diego Armando Maradona, who achieved that mark in 58 matches. The young forward has accumulated five goals and two assists in nine matches so far in 2026.