Barca won 7-0 despite the absence of the MSN trio

The Catalan team defeated Hercules in the match on the evening of December 21 to win the right to enter the round of 16 of the Spanish King's Cup.

Goals: Digne 37', Rakitic 45' penalty, Rafinha 50', Turan 55', 86', 89', Alcacer 73' (Total score after two legs 8-1).

Sending the MSN trio (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) home for Christmas break early had little effect on the result of the second leg of the King's Cup round of 32. Barca proved to be too strong for Hercules, their opponent from the third division, when they scored seven goals in a row between the 37th and 89th minutes. Among them, Arda Turan had a hat-trick, while Paco Alcacer scored his first goal in a major match for Barca.

With an aggregate score of 8-1, Barca won the right to enter the round of 16. The next opponent of coach Luis Enrique and his team will be Osasuna.

Barca ended the 2016 season with an easy win. Photo: Reuters

In addition to Messi, Suarez and Neymar, Barca also had Iniesta, Alba, Sergio Roberto and Busquets absent. But the absence of two-thirds of the starting line-up did not have any negative impact on the attacking power of Hercules. After Lucas Digne's precise tap-in in the 37th minute, the goals came pouring in for Barca.

Arda Turan was the standout performer among the Barca players on the pitch. The reluctant striker assisted Digne's opener, won the penalty for Rakitic to make it 2-0, set up Rafinha for the third, and then scored a hat-trick himself.

Denis Suarez did not score any goals but was the most lively player in attack. This young star continuously had creative moves, reasonable movements, and at the same time effectively assisted his teammates to score.

While Barca completely dominated, Hercules had almost no chance to attack. Therefore, goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen had one of the most leisurely matches of his career.

Also in the round of 32, Atletico Madrid beat another third-tier opponent, Guijuelo, 10-1 on aggregate. Sevilla even beat Formentera 14-2. Real Madrid played earlier (spending time on the FIFA Club World Cup) and also created a rain of goals when they beat Leonesa 13-2 on aggregate.

In the round of 16, Real Madrid will face Valencia, while Atletico will face Sevilla. These are also the two most attractive matches of the round.

According to VNE