A different Barça from the KO two years ago and the same Athletic

Since the new format of the Copa del Rey In the 2019-20 edition, with a single match in all the qualifiers except for the semifinals, the draw has forced Barça on two out of three occasions to visit Athletic with the home field factor against them. And with what the fans push in San Mamés, the incidence is double. In the first, almost two years ago, on February 6, 2020, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals (1-0) by an own goal from Sergio Busquets in the 93rd minute, when the match was already going into extra time. And the second will be this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. in the round of 16 of the 2021-22 edition. In the middle, in 2020-21, a final between the two teams, but in a neutral field, La Cartuja de Sevilla, and resolved with a 0-4 by Barça with only one scorer from the current squad, Frenkie de Jong, well Messi, author of a doublet, and Griezmann they are no longer in the template.

But because it is a tie in San Mamés, the most similar clash is that of two years ago, shortly before a pandemic that continues to hit. That day, Unai Simon closed his goal with good stops to an acceptable Barça that claimed a clear penalty from Cover a Frenkie de Jong. With the referee about to blow the final whistle, a poisoned center from Ibai Gomez combed it Busquets In his attempt to anticipate Iñaki Williams and the ball took even more spin and speed to the misfortune of Ter Stegen.

The two teams have changed coaches, Marcelino Garcia Toral for Gaizka Garitano at Athletic, while three coaches have already passed through the Barça bench: Quique Setien left the post to Ronald Koeman, who was relieved two months ago by Xavi Hernandez.

On the pitch there are also more changes in Barça than in an Athletic team that could repeat the eleven of that day if Marcelino I would like everyone to continue in the squad: Unai Simón; Capa, Iñigo Martínez, Núñez, Yeray, Yuri; Vesga, Dani Garcia, Raul Garcia, Muniain; and Iñaki Williams. The three substitutes who came on have left: Mikel San José, Aritz Aduriz and Ibai Gómez.

At Barça there are no longer three starters from that day (Semedo, Rakitic and Messi), while Sergio Robert he is injured. The rest of the headlines that day are Ter Stegen, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba, Busquets, Frenkie de Jong and Ansu Fati, who was already intimidating at 17 years old. Two of the three who came on from the bench have also left (Griezmann and Arthur) Y Umtiti he is injured.