The Frenchman’s 41st-minute strike gives them a 1-0 win over VillarrealMADRID: Thierry Henry’s 41st minute goal led Barcelona past Villarreal 1-0 and into the Copa del Rey semifinals on Thursday.
Henry found himself alone to powerfully head in Deco’s free kick for the only goal of the quarterfinal tie. Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez saved Lionel Messi’s penalty shot in the 77th.
Earlier, Racing Santander drew Athletic Bilbao 3-3 to advance to its first ever semis. Aldo Pedro Duscher, Mohammed Tchite and Oscar Serrano scored to hand Racing a 5-3 aggregate win.
At the Camp Nou, Barcelona controlled from the second minute when Andres Iniesta redirected Henry’s hard pass over goal. In the 27th, Iniesta looped it over the Villarreal defense for Messi but Lopez’s brilliant save kept it scoreless.
Messi was the catalyst again seven minutes later, outmanoeuvring three defenders with a run that started outside the area before Lopez saved his low shot.
Villarreal was reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute when Pascal Cygan was booked for the second time within three minutes after tripping up Messi, whose skillful dribbles troubled Villarreal. Lopez dived to keep Messi’s subsequent free kick out of the top left corner.
Villarreal was out of substitutions by the 48th when captain Marcos Senna left clutching his right leg for Bruno Soriano. Coach Manuel Pellegrini had shaken up the lineup to start the second half but Villarreal failed to improve offensively. Deco sent Henry in alone in the 51st, the France striker’s quick roller saved by Lopez.
At the San Mames, Racing arrived with a 2-0 first leg lead but saw the momentum turn swiftly when Athletic evened the tie from first half goals by Fernando Amorebieta in the 19th and Inaki Munoz from the penalty spot seven minutes later.
Duscher one timed Serrano’s pass from the left in the 54th but Markel Susaeta answered for Athletic two minutes later. Tchite clinched it with a short volley in the 73rd before Serrano scored the last for Racing, which eliminated the 23 time champion from the competition on its fourth straight chance, two minutes into injury time.
