Copa del Rey: Barca See Off Valencia To Advance 8-1 Aggregate
A second string Barcelona set a new club record of 29 games unbeaten to progress to the Copa del Rey final with a 1-1 draw at Gary Neville’s Valencia on Wednesday for an 8-1 aggregate win.
Barca’s place in a fifth final in six years was assured after a 7-0 first-leg rout last week and without their star attacking trio Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar the under-fire Neville looked set to be handed some relief by Alvaro Negredo’s first-half opener.
However, 19-year-old Cameroonian midfielder Wilfred Kaptoum came off the bench to score his first Barca goal and preserve the European champions’ unbeaten run six minutes from time.
Sevilla are well-set to meet Barca in the final on May 21 as they travel to Celta Vigo in the second-leg of the other semifinal on Thursday leading 4-0.
In total, Barca boss Luis Enrique left 11 first-team regulars back in the Catalan capital with an eye to his side’s busy upcoming schedule in La Liga and the Champions League, reports AFP.
By contrast, Valencia find themselves in the midst of a relegation battle in La Liga having not won for 12 league games, including nine since Neville took charge in December.
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