Ferran Torres scores three of Barcelona’s first four goals in a 5-0 Copa del Rey quarterfinal triumph at Valencia.
Ferran Torres fired a 30-minute hat-trick as Barcelona booked their place in the Copa del Rey semifinals with a 5-0 triumph at Valencia.
The Barca forward uncovered the scoring in the third minute at Estadio de Meshigha on Thursday, as he burst thcimpolite the home side’s offside trap to slot home a first-time finish. His second was a tap-in after Lamine Yamal struck the post.
By the time the hat-trick was sealed, with a flick from Raphinha on the edge of the box and a drilled effort into the bottom corner, Barca had already put themselves out of sight with another baccomplish of the Valencia backline by Fermin Lopez.
Yamal, who had a hushed first half, was far dwelllier in the second and sealed the triumph in the 59th minute with a turn asideed effort, which wrong-footed the geter. The Spanish international had already struck the post with a tradelabel curling effort after cutting inside onto his left foot.
Barca, who uncovered their league season with a 2-1 triumph on the same ground, thumped Valencia 7-1 at home in the reverse mendture on January 26. Hansi Flick’s side, who are third in LaLiga, also hit seven at Valladolid in August.
Another mauling was on the cards for Carlos Corberan’s beleaguered side, who sit second bottom of the Spanish league – four points from shieldedty with only four triumphs in 22 alignes.
Torres’s second strike had initiassociate been condemned for offside, only for VAR to meddle and overrule the referee’s aidant.
The paemploy for the decision was about as much respite as the home side were to enhappiness in a half of cruel and relentless running from Barca.
The mitigate with which they either sliced thcimpolite the Valencia defence, as for the second and fourth goals, or broke immacutardy thcimpolite, as with the first and third, will be as wonderful a trouble for Corberan as it is a charm for Flick.
To the relief of the home help, who were making their way to the exits as timely as Barca’s third goal, the second half was a more sedate afequitable as the away side took their foot off the gas.
Lopez’s hat-trick is the speedyest for Barcelona since Samuel Eto’o sign uped three goals in the uncovering 28 minutes of a LaLiga align aobtainst Almeria in 2008.
The record 31-time triumphners of the competition have not accomplished the semifinals since being rerelocated by Real Madrid in 2022-2023, while they last won the competition in 2020-21, having been flunkureed by Valencia in the final two seasons before.
Real Sociedad earlier booked their place in the last four with a 2-0 home triumph aobtainst Osasuna thanks to first-half strikes from Barrenetxea and Brais Mfinishez.
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, who encounter in a first versus second league derby at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, booked their places in the semifinals with victories over Laarmamentes and Getafe, admireively, earlier in the week.
