Blast from the past: 1997 Copa del Rey final against Betis
On 28 June 1997 Barça claimed their third trophy of the season under English coach Bobby Robson via a thrilling extra time victory over Real Betis in the final of the Copa del Rey in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid.
After beating Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid in a legendary tie in the quarter finals and Las Palmas in the semi-finals, Barça came up against a Betis side in the final who had finished fourth in the league and were coached by future blaugrana boss Llorenç Serra Ferrer.
With the Spanish Super Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup already in the bag, Robson's team were looking to make it a hat-trick of titles in the 1996/97 season on a warm, early summer evening in the Spanish capital.
Extra time decides
Betis got off to an excellent start in the final with striker Alfonso, who would later join Barça, putting them ahead after just 11 minutes. The blaugranes struck back just before half time with a goal from Luis Figo to make it 1-1 at the break.
Barça looked to be dominating in the second half but it was the Andalusians who took the lead when Nigerian striker Finidi George made it 2-1 with just eight minutes of normal time remaining.
The blaugranes were up against it but just three minutes later they were level again. A cross from Pep Guardiola was turned home by striker Pizzi, hero of the quarter-final tie against Atlético, to send the Barça fans wild and the game into extra time.
Tired legs were many in the extra half hour but Luis Figo managed to summon up the energy to give Barça a 3-2 lead when he latched on to a rebound after Betis' keeper Pedro Jaro had saved from Amunike. The blaugranes held on for the remaining five minutes of the contest to take their 23rd Copa del Rey title, equalling the then record held by Athletic Club, sealing a trio of trophies for Bobby Robson in his only season as FC Barcelona coach.
