Barca salvage 1-1 King's Cup draw against improved Valencia
ByReuters
Published 10/02/2016 at 22:41 GMT
Cameroonian teenager Wilfrid Kaptoum scored a late equaliser to give Barcelona a 1-1 draw at Valencia that wrapped up an 8-1 aggregate success in their King's Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
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Image credit: Eurosport
The second leg result, which denied home coach Gary Neville a craved first win in four matches, was academic after Barcelona had crushed Valencia 7-0 in the first leg at the Nou Camp last week.
Barca, who went through to their sixth final in eight seasons, will face either Celta Vigo or Sevilla in the final.
The draw was Barcelona's 29th match unbeaten with coach Luis Enrique's side surpassing the previous best set by former boss Pep Guardiola in the 2010/11 season.
Alvaro Negredo put Valencia in front in the 39th minute after goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen had parried his first effort but the ball fell nicely back to the striker to tap home.
It was Valencia's first goal in four games since Rodrigo scored in the second leg of their Cup quarter-final win over Las Palmas on Jan. 28.
Kaptoum found the net two minutes after coming on as a substitute eight minutes from time.
Luis Enrique rested almost a full first-choice team, making eight changes from the first leg with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique all staying at home.
Neville, his eye on Saturday's critical La Liga match at home to Espanyol when he will be looking for a first win in 10 league games in charge, also rested a number of first-choice players.
The former England defender will have been pleased, however, with his team's attitude and commitment in a half empty Mestalla stadium, the result of home fans' disappointment and anger with their struggling team.
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