Barcelona were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory by third tier l'Hospitalet in the first leg of their fourth round clash in the Copa del Rey.
Third tier minnows hold their own against European champions
Barcelona were made to work hard for a 1-0 victory by third tier l'Hospitalet in the first leg of their fourth round clash in the Copa del Rey.
A local derby took place at the Feixa Llarga stadium on Wednesday, with a visit from their illustrious Catalan neighbours marking a considerable high point in the history of l'Hospitalet.
The hosts were expected to be given a harsh footballing lesson by the reigning Spanish and European champions, but ended the game with their dignity very much intact.
The third tier minnows were able to hold their own for long periods of a glamour tie with Pep Guardiola's top flight giants, making a mockery of the fact that they compete in the division below Barca's B team.
Solitary strike
In the end, a solitary strike from World Cup winner Andres Iniesta proved to be the difference between the two sides.
A man whose next outing is likely to see him run out at Wembley against England on Saturday, fired home from the edge of the box three minutes before half-time.
Barca will expect to build on that advantage when the return leg is staged on 21st December, but l'Hospitalet will be delighted to be heading to Camp Nou with their heads held high.
They will have to wait over a month before getting the opportunity to grace one of world football's most iconic venues as the first leg of their last-32 encounter was brought forward due to Barca's involvement in the Club World Cup.
