Barcelona cruised into the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a resounding 5-0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium. Ferran Torres led the way with a hat-trick, while Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal also found the net in a dominant display.
Torres opened the scoring early on, finishing off a flowing move with a clinical strike. He then added two more goals before half-time, capitalizing on a rebound and finishing off a swift counter-attack.
Lopez extended Barcelona’s lead with a composed finish after a well-timed run, before Yamal completed the scoring with a deflected effort in the second half.
This heavy defeat was Valencia’s second at the hands of Barcelona in the space of two weeks, following a 7-1 thrashing in La Liga. The result will further frustrate Valencia fans, who have been critical of owner Peter Lim.
Barcelona’s impressive attacking display highlighted their strength in depth, with Torres shining in the absence of Robert Lewandowski. The Catalan giants have now scored at least five goals in their last four matches without Lewandowski in the starting lineup.
Real Sociedad Also Progress
In the other quarter-final, Real Sociedad secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over 10-man Osasuna.3 Goals from Ander Barrenetxea and Brais Mendez were enough to send Real Sociedad into the semi-finals for the third time in six seasons.
Barcelona will now face one of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, or Real Sociedad in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. They will be hoping to continue their impressive form and challenge for the trophy.