Copa del Rey 17/18: Real Murcia 0-3 Barcelona; 5 Talking Points

Barcelona, without Messi, Suarez, and many of their top guns, travelled to face third-tier Segunda B side Real Murcia in the first leg of the round of 32 Copa del Rey tie.

In an extremely mismatched game, Barcelona struggled to break the resolute Murcia defence and failed to create any clear chances in the first 43 minutes. The breakthrough came in the dying minutes of the first half when Alcacer heads a super Deulofeu cross into the corner to give Barca 1-0 lead going into the break.

Barcelona started the second half from where they left off and struck twice in a matter of 10 minutes to kill the hopes of a home side come-back. It was all Barcelona till the end as they beat the Segunda B side 3-0.

Let's see the 5 talking points from last night's Copa del Rey tie:

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#5 Real Murcia were made to pay for missing their first-half chances

Real Murcia started well but fizzled out in the second half

Barcelona started to dominate possession right from the word go. First real chance of the game fell for the home side but Elady Zorilla failed to connect with the ball at the far post and missed a glorious chance to score.

Though the away side dominated possession, good chances came the way of the home side. Molinero teed up Llorente but his effort went over the crossbar as Murcia missed another excellent opportunity to take the lead.

They were eventually punished for their missed chances as Alcacer put Barcelona in the lead, just minutes before the break. He headed home a cross from Deulofeu to break the hearts of spirited Murcia supporters.

#4 Dembele who? Deulofeu puts in an impressive performance

Deulofeu ran the show for Barcelona

Gerard Deulofeu puts in a stunning display in the absence of Messi and Suarez. The former Everton winger set up Paco Alcacer for the opening goal before netting the second himself.

He was quiet in the first 43 minutes as Barcelona struggled to create clear opportunities. In the 44th minute, Deulofeu swung in a beautiful cross for Paco Alcacer to make it 1-0 at the break.

Barcelona doubled their lead in the 52nd minute as Deulofeu dribbled the ball into the box before putting it in the back of the net with a cool finish. It was a brilliant display by the youngster and with Dembele out, he will get his chances and a real opportunity to fulfil his potential.

#3 Alcacer missed chances but Jose Arnaiz shines

Impressive debut for Arnaiz

Alcacer led the line for Barcelona in the absence of Luis Suarez and did a decent job. He scored the first goal of the game from a Gerard Deulofeu cross to make it 1-0. But he did miss a fair share of opportunities.

He is a good striker but not at the quality that Barcelona expects. The maximum he can get is the chance to play in cup competitions and an off-the-bench role in La Liga.

On the other hand, Jose Arnaiz had a good game against Real Murcia. Primarily a left winger, he was lively against Murcia and offered a lot to Barca's attacking play. He produced a stunning display and capped it with a goal in the 56th minute to make it 3-0. A real talent to watch out for.

Jose Arnaiz's game stats:

Goals - 1; Pass Accuracy - 88%; Key passes - 2; Dribbles completed - 6; Interceptions - 2; Tackles - 2

#2 Real Murcia put in an impressive display regardless of the result

Real Murcia can be proud of their performance

Though the result may look like a dominating victory for Barcelona, it was a spirited performance by the Segunda B side. Real Murcia was impressive during the first period, but they struggled to stay in the game as Barca scored twice very early in the second half.

Even after trailing 3-0, there was no shortage of energy from Real Murcia players as they continue to push players in the final third of the field. They had their moments but could not take it.

They were defensively better in the first half and very impressive going forward. Llorente, Elady, and Molinero had a good game but their inability to take the chances cost them badly. It will be an injustice to not mention the crowd support. They were in full voice until the final whistle and it was a performance to remember for the Spanish third tier side.

#1 Barcelona were sloppy at the back as Vermaelen made a comeback

Sloppy display at the back despite Vermaelen's return

Real Murcia started well as Barcelona were caught on the counter-attack on more than one occasion, but somehow managed to keep a clean sheet because of Real Murcia's poor finishing. Mascherano and Jasper Cillessen put in good displays, but Vermaelen failed to impress.

Thomas Vermaelen, playing after 561 days of exile from competitive football, was partnered with Javier Mascherano at the back in a four-man defence. The Belgian centre-back had a tough start as Real Murcia looked like the side to open the scoring.

He was caught by the pace of Llorente and Elady but Mascherano and Jasper Cillessen came to his rescue on a couple of occasions. He got better as the game wore on, but failed to put in an impressive performance.