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Barcelona debutant Wilfrid Kaptoum cancelled out Alvaro Negredo's opener 7 minutes from time as the holders progressed to the finals of the Copa del Rey 8-1 on aggregate.Having benched several first team players for the trip to the Mestalla including the attacking troika of ‘MSN’, manager Luis Enrique threw a second string team in a game that was nothing more than formality for his side.Barcelona entered the fray with a commanding 7-0 lead, and 45 minutes after falling behind to Negredo’s opener, levelled the matters through Kaptoum and set a new club record for going 29 matches without a defeat.The draw cranked up the pressure on embattled Valencia coach Gary Neville as his side failed to register a win yet again. Here are some of the things we learnt from the drab encounter.
#1 A game shorn of quality
Barcelona were never going to take this match seriously. After the 7-0 battering of Valencia in the first leg, the defending champions had little to do in the reverse fixture and Luis Enrique expectedly, opted to rest several key names.
The hosts thereby stood a chance to end their miserable run and rack up a rare win, which they were on course until Kaptoum's equaliser, but cut a forlorn figure yet again. Not only were Los Che denied a victory, but also came under fire for not trying. Valencia hardly ever threatened and weren’t creative enough.
On the flip side, Barcelona appeared a different animal with many reserve players strutting the field, and did not look like their usual self. Although the youngsters weren’t disappointing, they never shifted out of the first gear.
As both sides lacked any sort of flair, the game ran short of quality. And even entertainment.
#2 Draw sums up Valencia\'s struggles
With Barcelona leaving an entire first XI back in the Catalonia capital ahead of the trip, Valencia were given a chance to salvage some pride by beating a weakened team and also cut their embattled manager G-Neville some slack. Instead, they were held to yet another draw, a result that sums up their struggles this season.
The Bats started the game deadpan, lacking firepower in the attack and robustness at the back. The midfield was run over by Sergi Roberto, who single-handedly took the Valencia midfielders to the cleaners. Alvaro Negredo’s goal should’ve gone on to become the eventual match-winner, but just 7 minutes from time, were denied a win as Kaptoum levelled the proceedings after some sloppy defending from the hosts.
The stalemate may serve to turn up the heat on their manager, but more importantly, it was a mere imitation of what Valencia have been going through all season.
#3 Negredo gives the fans something to cheer about
Amid the dark days for the club, Alvaro Negredo remains a bright spot for Valencia. The former Manchester City striker has now scored 6 goals in the last 10 games, and his breakthrough gave the fans something to cheer about.
The strapping forward had a stop-start season initially, but is finding form of late. Negredo ran clear of Barcelona defence and whilst attempting to chip Ter Stegan, the ball came off the German back into his path, and then rounded the goalkeeper to cut into the net. It may have been fortuitous, but Negredo gave a moment to savour for everyone associated with the club.
With main striker Paco Alcacer still recuperating in the side-lines, it’s an opportunity for Negredo to impress his manager and stake a claim to a first team role. On current form through, he seems well on course for the same.
#4 Roberto mans the midfield with a punch
Barcelona youngster Sergi Roberto has been a utility player of sorts for his side this season. The 24-year old has been played at 7 different positions without disappointing the team, and today, was at it again.
Operating from the heart of the pitch, Roberto manned the midfield with great aplomb and stemmed the biggest threats coming from the home side. The Spaniard surged forward at will, and tracked back to shield the backline when the situation demanded.
The likes of Andres Iniesta and Arda Turan were left behind in Barcelona ahead of the visit, but Roberto ensured they were not missed, with yet another great performance.
#5 Mission accomplished for Barcelona
Barcelona progressed to their third successive Copa del Rey final with the draw, and are most likely to face Sevilla in the finals, who hold a 4-0 victory over Celta Vigo entering the second leg.
With both the Madrid teams, Real and Atletico, out of contention sometime back, Barcelona were gifted a chance to claim a trophy without doing much. Two of their biggest rivals were left behind in the race, all the Catalans had to do was to reach the finals.
Now that they have, Barcelona are favourites for the trophy rrespective of who take on in the finals in May.
