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Copa del Rey review

Valencia cruise to set up Barca tie

January 26, 2012
By Copa del Rey review

Valencia cruised into the last four of the Copa del Rey after a comfortable 3-0 win over city rivals Levante in the second leg of their quarter-final tie.

Pablo Piatti Valencia
PA PhotosPablo Piatti helped himself to a brace as Valencia cruised into the Copa del Rey semi-finals

• Wednesday's Copa del Rey review

Los Che were as good as through to the semi-finals following their 4-1 victory in the first leg at the Mestalla, and made sure of their progress by an emphatic 7-1 aggregate scoreline thanks to Pablo Piatti's brace and an Aritz Aduriz strike.

Aduriz got the ball rolling with a first-time effort from Piatti's pull back on 25 minutes, while Piatti made it 2-0 five minutes later after latching onto Juan Bernat's through ball and coolly firing past Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua.

Levante's misery was compounded when Oscar Serrano was sent off for a second yellow card in the 72nd minute, while Piatti completed his double in the 85th minute when he lashed home on the rebound after Munua parried Aduriz's header.

Valencia now progress to a semi-final against reigning Spanish and European champions Barcelona, with the first leg at the Mestalla next Wednesday and the return at the Nou Camp a week later on February 8.

The second semi-final pits Athletic Bilbao against surprise package Mirandes of the Spanish third tier.