Updated On: 07 February, 2025 05:07 PM IST | Valencia | AFP
Lopez put Barcelona three up midway through the first half with a well-timed run expertly found by Pedri Gonzalez, rounding goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and tucking home

Barcelona`s Spanish forward Ferran Torres holds up three fingers after scoring his third goal during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King`s Cup) quarter-final first leg football match between Valencia CF and FC Barcelona at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia. Pic/AFP
Ferran Torres hit a hat-trick as Barcelona routed Valencia 5-0 on Thursday to cruise into the Copa del Rey semi-finals. 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. Former Valencia forward Torres took the plaudits with his treble inside 30 minutes, taking full advantage of Barca coach Hansi Flick`s decision to rest striker Robert Lewandowski. "We thought that it would be a very difficult game, because here at Mestalla is always a hard ground to play," Torres told TVE.
"We had the luck that we scored goals early and in the end that sunk them." The Spaniard netted in the third minute, running onto a fine Alejandro Balde through ball and finishing clinically against his former side. Torres netted the second after 17 minutes when teenage winger Yamal`s shot bounced off the post back into his path. Lopez put Barcelona three up midway through the first half with a well-timed run expertly found by Pedri Gonzalez, rounding goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and tucking home.