5 - 0
Prat’s five‑star fireworks leave San Rafael in the dark
A night that should be archived under “How to dismantle a side in ten minutes” saw AE Prat turn a Copa del Rey tie into a masterclass in goal‑mouth engineering. Five unanswered strikes later, the Catalan outfit walked off the pitch with a grin and a three‑point boost; the visitors, meanwhile, were left counting the holes in their own defence.
From the first whistle, Prat’s tempo was a question‑and‑answer session: “Who’s going to score?” – “We’ll tell you in ten minutes.” Forward Julián Paredes opened the floodgates at the 7‑minute mark, a low‑driven finish that left San Rafael’s keeper flat‑footed. The early lead set the tone, and the home side never looked back.
Mid‑field maestro Miquel Soler orchestrated the onslaught with a 8.5 rating, threading passes that sliced the opposition’s shape like a hot knife through butter. His vision unlocked the second goal, a slick one‑two with winger Álvaro Vilanova, who earned a 8.0 for his blistering run and a crisp cross that Paredes turned home again.
San Rafael tried to regroup after the 22‑minute double, but their attempts resembled a child’s doodle on a wall: earnest but ultimately inconsequential. Their captain, defender Luis Ortega, limped off with a thigh strain, and the backline never found a rhythm. The third goal came from a set‑piece – Soler’s free‑kick curled over the wall, met by centre‑back Jordi Ferrer’s towering header for a 7.5 performance that, unfortunately for the hosts, was the only bright spot on the away side.
The fourth strike arrived from the bench. Super‑sub Jordi Riera, introduced at half‑time, slotted a tap‑in after a quick turnover, earning an 8.0. His fresh legs seemed to remind San Rafael that the match was already decided. The final nail was driven home in the 78th minute by winger Víctor Llorens, whose pace and precision earned him a 7.5, sealing the 5‑0 demolition.
In terms of the table, the three points nudge AE Prat a step higher in the mid‑table scramble, while San Rafael’s goal‑difference takes a hit that could prove costly in the relegation battle. The result is a clear statement: Prat can turn a cup tie into a showcase, and San Rafael will need more than a new goalkeeper to avoid the same fate next round.
Player Ratings
- Miquel Soler (Prat) – 8.5
- Julián Paredes (Prat) – 8.0
- Álvaro Vilanova (Prat) – 8.0
- Jordi Riera (Prat) – 8.0 (sub)
- Jordi Ferrer (San Rafael) – 7.5
- Víctor Llorens (Prat) – 7.5
The rest of the squad will have to settle for a collective “better luck next time” as Prat’s fireworks light up the Copa del Rey.