VALENCIA: Forward Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick in the first 30 minutes to lead an imperious Barcelona to a 5-0 rout of Valencia in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Thursday.

Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal were also on target for the record 31-time Spanish Cup winners as they swaggered to victory at an upset Mestalla stadium.

Earlier Real Sociedad progressed with a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man Osasuna, joining Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in a strong final four.

Playing in his home town against his childhood club, Torres scored from a quick counter-attack in the second minute, running onto a fine Alejandro Balde through ball and finishing clinically, and extended the lead in the 17th when he fired home a rebound from a Yamal strike that ricocheted off the post.

Lopez scored the third in another counter five minutes later, ghosting behind the line from a pass by Pedri to score, and Torres gave Barca a four-goal lead on the half-hour mark with a strike from the edge of the box.

The visitors took their foot off the gas after the break but Yamal added a fifth goal in the 59nd minute with help from Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, who made a howler when Yamal’s shot deflected off his gloves and into the net.

It was Barcelona’s second thrashing of Valencia in less than two weeks, after a 7-1 victory in LaLiga against opponents who are second-bottom of the standings and struggling to avoid relegation.

“I really wish Valencia the best of luck because outside the pitch I’m just another fan,” Torres told TVE after deciding not to celebrate any of his goals out of respect. “It’s hard to see the club of your childhood, the club of your life suffer like this... seeing how they are going through such a hard time.”

Valencia coach Carlos Corberan said his team had been left hurt by the defeat.

“It’s a very tough loss, especially hard because we feel the same as we did after the league game, but in front of our fans at Mestalla,” he said. “We have to give a better account of ourselves... the fans deserve a lot more than what we have been capable of.”

In San Sebastian Ander Barrenetxea and Brais Mendez struck for hosts Sociedad before Osasuna had Alejandro Catena sent off for a wild challenge after 35 minutes.

Osasuna beat the same opposition 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday but Catena’s dismissal effectively ended any hope of mounting a comeback.

La Real reached the Copa semi-finals for the third time in six seasons, last winning in the 2020 edition.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2025