Barcelona have one foot in the final of the
Spanish King's Cup after a handsome 2-0 home win over Mallorca on Thursday, in
a one-sided cup semifinal first leg clash, dpa
reported.
Barca have not made it to a final since 1998.
Veterans Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez scored the goals, which reflected
Barca's total domination.
It was not an easy game for the hosts, since Mallorca were content to defend in
depth. It was a tough test for Josep Guardiola's team of how to break down a
packed defence, but they came through well, despite the absence of midfield
maestro Xavi.
The first goal came in the 36th minute, when Henry powerfully headed in a
clever centre from Bojan Krkic.
To the delight of the 65,000 fans in the Camp Nou, Lionel Messi came off the
bench 10 minutes into the second half and forced two sharp saves out of Mallorca keeper German Lux.
Fifteen minutes from time, Marquez made it 2-0 with a classy free- kick.
The return leg will be played in Palma on March 4.
In the other semifinal first leg played on Wednesday, Sevilla came from behind
to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 at home, with second-half goals from Argentines
Aldo Duscher and Lautaro Acosta.
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