CF San Rafael 1-5 AE Prat: Marti Hat-Trick Fires Prat into Copa del Rey Next Round

AE Prat produced a ruthless away performance to beat CF San Rafael 5-1 in the Copa del Rey on Sunday 27 September 2026, with Pere Marti scoring a hat-trick to send his side comfortably into the next round. The one-off knockout tie at Municipal de Sant Rafel was effectively decided by a dominant first-half display, and Prat added further goals after the break to complete a convincing victory.

CF San Rafael came into the match hoping to use home advantage and a compact defensive block to frustrate their higher-ranked opponents. Instead, they were undone by Prat's sharp pressing, quick combination play and clinical finishing. The visitors controlled possession from the opening whistle and rarely looked troubled once they took an early lead.

Match overview

• Final score: CF San Rafael 1-5 AE Prat
• Competition: Copa del Rey
• Date: Sunday 27 September 2026
• Venue: Municipal de Sant Rafel
• Goals: Pere Marti 8', 51', 79'; Marc Marruecos 33'; Joel Moreno 88'; Dani Ruiz 67'

AE Prat started with intent, pressing San Rafael's defenders high and forcing turnovers in dangerous areas. That approach brought the opening goal inside the first ten minutes, and it set the tone for a match in which the visitors looked sharper, faster and more composed in the final third.

Key moments

The first goal arrived in the 8th minute. Pere Marti intercepted a loose pass near the edge of the box, took a touch to steady himself and fired a low shot into the bottom corner. San Rafael's goalkeeper had little chance, and the early setback immediately changed the home side's game plan.

Prat doubled their lead in the 33rd minute through Marc Marruecos, who finished calmly after a flowing move down the right. A quick exchange of passes opened up San Rafael's defence, and Marruecos arrived late in the area to guide the ball past the goalkeeper. At 2-0, the visitors were in complete control.

San Rafael showed brief signs of life before half-time, winning a series of corners and forcing Prat into a few hurried clearances. But the away side defended those set pieces well and went into the break with a comfortable advantage.

Prat effectively killed the tie in the 51st minute when Marti scored his second. A misplaced pass in midfield allowed Prat to counter quickly, and Marti ran onto a through ball before finishing with the outside of his right foot. San Rafael did pull one back in the 67th minute through Dani Ruiz, whose well-struck effort from the edge of the area gave the home supporters something to celebrate.

Any hope of a comeback was extinguished in the 79th minute when Marti completed his hat-trick, reacting first to a rebound inside the box. Joel Moreno added a fifth in the 88th minute, finishing a counter-attack with a composed finish to round off the scoring.

Tactical story

AE Prat lined up in a 4-3-3 and dominated midfield with quick, vertical passing. Their full-backs pushed high, stretching San Rafael's 4-4-2 and creating overloads in wide areas. The front three rotated constantly, making it difficult for the home defence to track runners, and Prat's pressing prevented San Rafael from building any sustained possession.

San Rafael tried to sit deeper and counter through long balls toward their strikers, but they were often isolated against Prat's centre-backs. When the home side did win the ball in advanced positions, their final pass was rushed or intercepted. Prat's superiority was reflected in the stats: 61% possession, 18 shots and 10 on target, compared with San Rafael's six attempts and two on target.

The away side's discipline was also notable. Even at 4-1, they continued to press and attack rather than sitting back, which led to the late goals that gave the scoreline a more emphatic look. For San Rafael, the challenge was painful but clear: they could not cope with Prat's speed of thought in the final third.

Standout players

Pere Marti was the obvious star of the night, scoring three goals and constantly troubling San Rafael's defence with his movement. His first goal set the tone, his second came at a crucial moment and his third capped a complete centre-forward performance. Marc Marruecos was also excellent, adding a goal and driving forward from midfield, while Joel Moreno made an impact off the bench with the fifth goal.

For CF San Rafael, goalkeeper Andres Molina made several saves to prevent an even heavier defeat, and Dani Ruiz took his consolation goal well. Ruiz's effort was the highlight of an otherwise difficult evening for the home side, who struggled to contain Pr