Barcelona delivered a resounding performance as they trounced Valencia 5-0 at the Estadio de Mestalla on Thursday, securing their place in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. Ferran Torres was the star of the show, scoring a rapid hat-trick within the first 30 minutes, marking the fastest for Barcelona since Samuel Eto'o's feat against Almeria in 2008. Lamine Yamal added the final touch with a deflected goal in the 59th minute. The victory comes as a significant boost for Barcelona, who had not reached this stage of the competition since being eliminated by Real Madrid in the 2022-2023 season.
The match began with Barcelona opening their league season with a narrow 2-1 win over Valencia on the same ground, but Thursday's encounter was a different story altogether. Barcelona's attack was relentless, slicing through Valencia's defense with ease—a delight for coach Flick and a concern for Valencia's Corberan. Torres's second goal was initially flagged offside but was awarded after a VAR review, further affirming Barcelona's dominance.
Valencia struggled throughout, unable to contain Barcelona's offensive prowess, reminiscent of Barcelona's earlier 7-1 thrashing of Valencia at home in January. The ease with which Barcelona found the back of the net echoed their remarkable seven-goal performance against Valladolid in August. Despite a more subdued second half, with Valencia easing off, Barcelona maintained control and sealed their triumph with Yamal's effort.
With this victory, Barcelona joins Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semifinals. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid secured their places with wins over Lagunes and Getafe, respectively. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad advanced with a 2-0 victory against Osasuna, courtesy of early goals from Barrenetxea and Brais Mendez.
Barcelona's Copa del Rey journey marks a return to form after their previous struggles in the competition. The team last won the trophy in the 2020-21 season but faced consecutive defeats by Valencia in the finals thereafter. The current LaLiga standings see Barcelona in third place, while Valencia languishes near the bottom, second from last with only four wins in 22 matches.
