0-1 Adriano (min 34)
0-2 Thiago (min 56)
0-3 Afellay (min 66)
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La experiencia del campo del Betis le ha servido al Barça. Su actitud ha sido modélica, ejerciendo una presión intensa, aunque de entrada tenía dificultades para hacerse con el control del juego. El ímpetu del Almería, con la voluntad de dar una pequeña alegría a su afición, ha tenido mucho que ver. De hecho, la primera ocasión seria la han tenido los de Oltra, con un lanzamiento del debutante Feghouli a la base del poste.
Como si el susto del rival despertara al equipo, acto seguido, Afellay ha hecho lucir al portero Esteban con un disparo cruzado. El holandés era el falso delantero centro en un ataque innovador junto a Bojan y Nolito. Sería un defensa, Adriano, quien inauguraría el marcador y su cuenta particular de la temporada. Lo ha hecho con un golazo: se ha escapado de dos por velocidad y habilidad túnel incluido y ha batido Esteban por abajo.
Abierta la lata, en el segundo tiempo el Barça ha movido el balón con mucha más comodidad, contagiado por el desparpajo de los jóvenes Thiago y Nolito. El centrocampista ha sido el actor principal del 0-2. Él ha abierto el esférico a la banda para Alves y posteriormente ha rematado con la cabeza el centro del lateral derecho. Las ilusiones del Almería se han diluido definitivamente.
Con el Barça jugando a placer, Afellay ha marcado su primer gol como azulgrana gracias a un obús desde la frontal. Y a continuación el '20' ha estado a punto de repetir con una brillante acción personal culminada con un toque con el exterior. El equipo encontraba espacios con facilidad delante y generaría más oportunidades. Las cosas funcionaban a la perfección y Guardiola ha preferido hacer poco uso del banquillo de lujo que disponía para la ocasión (sólo Piqué por Busquets, al descanso). Premio merecido. El Barça es finalista.
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No doubt the experience away to Betis in the previous round was somewhere on the minds of the Barça players as they went into the game. They maintained their usual intensity where many teams may have fallen into the trap of over-relaxation, but although they dominated the midfield, they struggled to find goalscoring chances. Almeria were desperate to give their fans something to cheer about after such a dismal result at the Camp Nou, and it was indeed the home side that enjoyed the first major chance, when debutant Feghouli's effort hit the post.
As if that had been something of a wake-up call, Afellay warmed the gloves of Almeria keeper Esteban soon after that. The Dutchman was playing excellently in 'the hole' just behind the unusual strike force of Bojan and Nolito. But it was a defender, Adriano, who opened the scoring with his first goal of the season. And what a goal it was. He beat two defenders on both speed and skill, nutmeg included, and then stroked the ball under Esteban.
The deadlock broken, Barça then dominated the second half, inspired by the youthful enthusiasm of Thiago and Nolito. The midfielder was the star of the second goal as he played the ball wide to Alves and then headed home the Brazilian's cross. By this point, Almeria were devastated. If they had ever had a glimmer of hope of turning this tie around, then those hopes were now dead.
Barça could afford to showboat from then on. Afellay scored the third of the night with an absolute scorcher from the edge of the area, and almost made it two shortly after following an excellent individual run that he culminated with a deft flick that failed to find the target. With space to play with, Barça were clearly in their element, and Guardiola decided to let the players enjoy themselves, rather than send on any of the players sat on his star-studded substitute's bench (the only change was Piqué for Busquets at the break). There can be no arguing that FC Barcelona thoroughly deserve their place in the 2011 Copa del Rey final.