"Barcelona's Copa Dreams Shattered: Extra-Time Drama Ends in Bilbao Defeat
Barcelona's run in this season's Copa del Rey concluded on Wednesday night with a 4-2 defeat against Athletic Bilbao in extra time.
Girona also bid farewell to the tournament at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday, succumbing to a 3-2 loss against Sevilla.
Remarkably, the top three teams in La Liga have all fallen short of reaching the semi-finals in Spain's premier cup competition, as Real Madrid bowed out to Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
Athletic Bilbao seized an early advantage against Barcelona, with Gorka Guruzeta finding the net just 36 seconds into the match following some disorganized defending.
In the 26th minute, Robert Lewandowski leveled the score by charging down an attempted clearance by Yuri Berchiche, resulting in the ball deflecting into the net.
A spectacular solo effort from Lamine Yamal then propelled the visitors into the lead before halftime.
However, Bilbao responded with an Oihan Sancet header, leveling the score at 2-2 early in the second half.
Yamal had a prime opportunity to secure the victory for Barcelona in the 85th minute, but the game extended into extra time.
Inaki Williams, a substitute who played for Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations just 48 hours prior, gave Bilbao a 3-2 lead by converting his own rebound after initially hitting the post.
Nico Williams delivered the final blow to Barcelona in added time at the end of extra time, concluding the match with a stylish strike from 17 yards using the outside of his right boot.
HIGHLIGHTS I ATHLETIC CLUB 4 vs 2 FC BARCELONA | COPA DEL REY