'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 117th edition of the Copa del Rey final was staged at the Estadio Benito Villamarin and saw Barcelona clash with Valencia, with Valencia running away with a 2-1 victory to win the Copa del Rey title for the eighth time in their history.
Barcelona had been widely tipped to win the match owing to the superiority of its players as well as recent dominance in the Copa del Rey, but in scenes that totally went against pre-match analysis, Valencia put in a dogged performance to deny Barcelona their double dream and hopes for a fifth consecutive cup title.
Only a few weeks ago, the Blaugrana were on course for a unique third treble, but at the conclusion of the 2018/2019 season in Spain, they only have the La Liga title to show for. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at four reasons why Barcelona lost to Valencia in the Copa del Rey final.
#4 The absence of key players
Ernesto Valverde entered the match without having the complement of a full squad, as Luis Suarez was ruled out due to a meniscus injury, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen failed to recover in time from a knee injury and Ousmane Dembele had hamstring issues.
It effectively meant that Barcelona took to the field without their only recognized center-forward, while also missing the services of their first choice and one of the best goalkeepers in the world as well as a considerable threat going forward.
In the absence of Suarez and Dembele, the goalscoring burden fell on Lionel Messi and this proved to be too much for even the great Argentine to bear, as he lacked the requisite support in attack.
While none of the two goals conceded could be attributed to any fault from backup goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, the 30-year-old lacked the composure that is a hallmark of ter Stegen's game and also failed to effectively control his defense, being involved in a number of mix-ups with his center-backs.
While the Barcelona squad is replete with a host of world beaters such that the absence of any player (bar Messi) should not be felt, on the night such players failed to hold their own, making the key absences more glaring and this played a crucial role in seeing them get beaten by Valencia.
#3 Valverde's questionable tactics
Following Barcelona's shocking elimination to Liverpool in the Champions League which came in similar circumstances to their ouster out by Roma last season, Valverde saw his consecutive La Liga triumphs lose its sheen and his position as Barcelona coach come into question.
The 55-year-old needed every goodwill he could find and the Copa del Rey offered a perfect opportunity for him to get a stay of execution.
However, rather surprisingly, the former Athletic Bilbao man decided to shoot himself in the foot, fielding a puzzling lineup by starting an underperforming Philippe Coutinho and why he quite opted to leave Arturo Vidal (who has been one of Barcelona's best performers in recent weeks) out of his starting lineup beats the imagination.
It did not end there, as he inexplicably decided to start Sergi Roberto in an unfamiliar role on the right of attack while Brazilian international Malcom was left cooling his heels on the bench.
By the time he realized his folly and summoned the aforementioned duo from the bench, it was already too late, as Valencia had gone two-nil up and the damage had been done.
This loss is sure to crank up the pressure on Valverde in the coming weeks and he has nobody to blame but himself.
#2 Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo took their chances
As already established, Barcelona were heavy favorites heading into the match and as such, Valencia were given next to no chance by pre-match analysts.
The Catalan clubs possession-based style of play means that opponents very rarely get hold of the ball and this proved to be the case against in the Copa final, as Barcelona hogged 72% of the ball while having 18 shots at the Valencia goal.
By contrast, Los Che rarely got a sniff at the Barcelona goal, having a total of just six shots across the full 90 minutes.
Of the six, just three were on target of which two ended in the back of the Barcelona net and it is here that Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo deserve immense praise for their clinical nature in front of goal.
Gameiro showed great composure and awareness to shrug off Jordi Alba and slot past Cillesen after a brilliant run forward by Jose Gaya in the 21st minute and just 12 minutes later, his teammate Rodrigo doubled Valencia's lead, heading home from Carlos Soler's pin-point cross.
The sheer brilliance of Barcelona's players means that chances for opponents come at a premium, with lower teams having to make the most of their limited opportunities to get anything against the Blaugrana and the Valencia attackers deserve full credit for doing so and some extra.
#1 Quite simply, Valencia wanted it more
Barcelona are one of the most decorated clubs in history and the current crop of players are no strangers to winning, having won almost everything winnable in the game.
Most of the players have been the core of the Blaugrana side which has been utterly dominant in the last decade and came into the fixture as defending La Liga champions, while they had also won the Copa del Rey in each of the previous four seasons consecutively.
By contrast, virtually all the Valencia players have won next to nothing and are nowhere near being the global superstars that their Barcelona counterparts are, while the club itself had been without any form of silverware for 11 years.
This was evident in the game, as the Valencia players showed an extra drive and hunger to win the trophy, throwing themselves into tackles and putting their bodies on the line, while defending resolutely to protect their lead.
It is hard to keep yourself motivated to go the extra mile having won so much, and this must have played in the psychology of the Barcelona players, as they did not exert themselves as much as the Valencia players did and this played a role in denying them of their 31st Copa del Rey trophy.
