Barcelona avoided a Copa del Rey shock against CF Intercity thanks to Ansu Fati. But who is Oriol Soldevila, the hat-trick hero who helped the third-tier side take the tie to extra time?
Fati scored in the 103rd minute to claim Barcelona a 4-3 victory on the road to Intercity on Wednesday night. Soldevila had found the back of the net three times over the second half to cancel out efforts from Ronald Araujo (4’), Ousmane Dembele (66’) and Raphinha (77’).
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He first drew Intercity level on 59 minutes before finding a way past Inaki Pena Sotorres in the 74th. It then appeared as if Barcelona would survive Intercity’s efforts when Raphinha hit home. But Soldevila swept the ball home one more time in the 86th to force it to extra time.
Fati’s deflected effort would, however, deny Intercity an upset in the Copa del Rey to send Barcelona into the last 16. Xavi Hernandez was without Robert Lewandowski for the Camp Nou giant’s trip to Alicante. He did not name the £42.5m forward in the Blaugrana’s squad.
But who is Soldevila, the hat-trick hero who almost helped Intercity shock Barcelona in the Copa del Rey? Well, he is actually a former Blaugrana and Birmingham City youth prospect.
Who is Oriol Soldevila? Intercity’s Copa del Rey hat-trick hero vs Barcelona
Soldevila is a 21-year-old attacking midfielder who joined Intercity in a free transfer back in July. Birmingham had released the Barcelona-born talent at the end of his contract in June 2022. He had spent the previous two years at the Second City side in their Under-21 team.
The former Spain U18 international never made a first-team matchday squad, let alone his senior debut, whilst with the Blues. Soldevila’s only appearances for Birmingham came for their U21s. He also hit four goals and five assists in 19 Premier League 2 games in 2021/22.
Birmingham had signed Soldevila in 2020 to take a look at his potential following two years in Barcelona’s legendary academy. The Blaugrana signed the young maestro to La Masia in 2018 for their U18s. But he only rose to the Catalan club’s U19s before his release in 2020.
Barcelona saw the potential that Soldevila has now shown against them for Intercity in the Copa del Rey whilst honing his trade with UE Cornella. He was a youth player with the club that also now plays in the Primera Federacion – Grupo II, the third-tier of Spanish football.
Intercity only secured qualification into the Spanish third-tier in 2022
Intercity only secured qualification into the Spanish third-tier for the 2022/23 season after winning the fourth-tier title last term. The current campaign is also only their sixth season in existence thus far. The Estadio Antonio HDLR natives were only founded during 2017.
Intercity was formed following a restructuring of GCD Sant Joan d’Alacant. And they have already made some history in their brief history. Bloomberg reported in May 2021 that the Valencia natives became the first football club in Spain to be listed on the stock exchange.
It also noted that former Atletico Madrid right-back Juanfran is among the investors in the club. Shares in Intercity also hit the BME Growth stock exchange at the end of June 2021.
Now, though, whilst many fans are wondering who Soldevila is after his hat-trick against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, Intercity are struggling in the league. They went into their meeting with the Blaugrana whilst sitting in the relegation zone for the Spanish third-tier.
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