Espanyol vs. Barcelona: 2016 Copa del Rey Round of 16, Leg 2 Score and Reaction

Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Wednesday following a 2-0 second-leg victory and 6-1 aggregate win over Espanyol. Munir El Haddadi scored a brace on the night to confirm the Blaugrana's progression.

Espanyol had to overturn a 4-1 first-leg deficit to progress. Their crosstown rivals have conceded just 15 goals in 18 league matches, so scoring three goals without reply was a herculean task. This was also Espanyol manager Constantin Galca's sixth game in charge after he took over for Sergio Gonzalez in December.

In his pre-match press conference, Barca manager Luis Enrique told reporters he wasn't going to have his players approach this match any differently despite the comfortable lead they took into the second leg.

"We'll do the same things we did in the previous derbies, which is no different than going out to win," said Enrique, per the Barcelona website. "It will be the most attractive of the three derbies because only one of the two teams can move on [to the quarterfinals]. We will go for the win, but will face an opponent that, unlike in other games, will pressure us further up."

Enrique did opt for a slightly weaker side, leaving Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique on the bench. Pique was better off away from the pitch since one Espanyol supporter had an unpleasant gift for the central defender, per LaTdP of Catalunya Radio (via barcastuff):

"

Images: Pig head Espanyol fan has ready for in case Pique plays #fcblive [via @latdp] pic.twitter.com/YTTaWT6pIk

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) January 13, 2016"

Emotions were also running high on the pitch, especially early in the match. Espanyol forward Felipe Caicedo picked up a yellow card in the 42nd minute after elbowing Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

BeIN Sports USA offered a second look at the incident:

Beyond a brief spell shortly after the start of the match, Barcelona looked content to hold onto the ball and protect their lead. They had 68 per cent possession in the first half and registered three shots on target.

Munir broke the deadlock with a goal in the 32nd minute off an assist from Lionel Messi, whose pass left Munir with little work left to do in order to score. Messi's through ball hit the 20-year-old attacker perfectly in stride, and he rounded Francesco Bardi for the easy finish.

BeIN Sports USA provided a replay of the goal:

OptaJose tracked how often Messi has found himself directly involved in a Barcelona goal:

For most of the first half, the Espanyol supporters inside the Estadi Cornella-El Prat had been vocal. Spanish paper AS thought Munir's goal had a deflating effect on the atmosphere:

Caicedo nearly brought the home supporters back into the match in the 44th minute. Instead, Ter Stegen stonewalled the Ecuador international, making a fingertip save to knock his shot out of danger.

The German 'keeper stepped up big again in the 51st minute, winning the ball from Caicedo in the 18-yard box and using his left foot to make the clearance.

SB Nation's Barca Blaugranes argued Ter Stegen had the perfect revenge on Caicedo for the first-half elbow:

In the 88th minute, Munir scored his second goal of the match after Barcelona made the most of a five-on-three advantage. Aleix Vidal delivered a nice pass across goal to Munir, who looked a step offside but completed his brace anyway.

It was a convincing win for Barcelona, who won't know their quarter-final opponents until the draw is made. Whomever they play, they'll be without Luis Suarez for the first leg while he serves the last of his two-match Copa del Rey suspension.

Barca will be favorites to win the tournament, especially after Real Madrid's expulsion. Anything short of a 28th Copa del Rey title will be a disappointment for Catalan giants.

Post-Match Reaction

Enrique discussed his tactical plan for the match and how his team grew more comfortable following an uneven start.

"We tried to use two pivots in front of the defense to try to crowd out the midfield and get Leo Messi involved more," he said, per Eduard Gangoso of Barcelona's official website. "We were a bit indecisive early on, but from the 15th minute onwards we started realizing that we could create danger with relative ease."

Enrique also explained how having so many versatile players only benefits Barcelona's game plan.

"It's wonderful to have so many players that can play in different positions," he said, per Gangoso. "We have (Javier) Mascherano, Sergi Roberto, Aleix Vidal and Messi who can play out wide, up front or just behind the forwards, Adriano, Mathieu."

For Munir, the victory superseded his impressive performance.

"I am happy with the goals," he said, per Barca's Twitter account. "But in particular with the team effort and getting through."