Hercules vs. Barcelona: 2016 Spanish Copa del Rey Leg 1 Score, Reaction

Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-32 clash with Hercules CF at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez on Wednesday, their second stalemate in successive games heading into Saturday's El Clasico.

David Mainz earned the third-tier side a shock lead shortly after half-time, but within six minutes, Carles Alena grabbed an impressive equaliser:

Barca manager Luis Enrique named a much-changed side and gave a number of young players the chance to shine, including Alena, Borja Lopez, Alex Carbonell and Marc Cardona, while their illustrious front three—Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar—were not involved.

A quiet start to the match saw the hosts set out to frustrate their visitors, and as a result, it took time for either side to get into gear. Barca continued to probe their opponents' defence but lacked their usual incisive passing in the final third.

Hercules goalkeeper Ivan Buigues was called into action after 11 minutes to keep out Paco Alcacer's free-kick; the Spaniard's strike was deflected towards the bottom corner.

Jose Gaspar had a rare chance for the hosts when he surged forward, but the midfielder could only direct his effort straight at goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.

At the other end, Alcacer beat Buigues to the ball in a 50-50 but was unable to pick out a team-mate with his square ball, and Jose Manuel Rojas was on hand to clear the danger. Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez remarked on the former Valencia striker's struggles:

Shortly after the break, Gaspar was able to test Cillessen again with a free-kick, before Mainz broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute when he converted Alvaro Salinas' cross to the back post with his chest.

Their lead lasted just six minutes, however, when Alena picked out the bottom corner from 25 yards with a wonderful strike. Spanish football journalist Richard Martin put the 18-year-old's goal in context, while colleague Alexandra Jonson sang his praises:

Substitute Cardona almost made an immediate impact as the visitors sought another goal, but Buigues made an excellent save to deny him from close range.

Barcelona should be able to progress to the next round when Hercules travel to the Camp Nou for the return leg on Dec. 21. And many of their first-team stars weren't involved, but their inability to win the game without them will be a source of concern for Enrique, with the likes of Alcacer and Arda Turan struggling to impress.

As for Hercules, they put in a good account of themselves but will likely struggle to replicate their feat away from home if Barca put out a stronger side. 

Post-Match Reaction

Barcelona star Rafinha defended the team's approach and praised Alena, per the club's official Twitter feed: "When a team sits back, shooting from distance is a good tactic. We are happy for Alena's goal."