Barcelona 1-2 Valencia
This was the stuff of dreams for Valencia.
Copa del Rey winners 2019.
Their first major success in this or any tournament for 11 years.
The first time in five years that Barcelona haven’t won the trophy.
None of the followers of Marcelino’s team, especially those inside the Benito Villamarin in Seville, will ever forget this night.
Few SBOBET followers will begrudge them either as they ended Barcelona’s chances of back-to-back league and cup doubles.
Highlights of the game
Before a ball was kicked this season, Kevin Gameiro vowed that Valencia would win silverware and he was as good as his word.
It took the deadly marksman just 21 minutes to open the scoring, firing a blockbuster past Jasper Cillessen after Jose Gaya worked the ball towards him.
A further 12 minutes later and another talented dangerman notched what proved to be the clincher.
After receiving a Dani Parejo pass, Carlos Soler had too much pace for Jordi Alba and his delivery was expertly headed home by the talent that is Rodrigo (he had already been denied by a goal line Gerard Pique clearance early on).
Despite Lionel Messi’s best promptings, no-one could argue Valencia didn’t deserve their half-time lead as the Copa del Rey betting odds were turned on their head.
Jaume Domenech had produced a superb one-handed save to deny the Barca captain on the stroke of half-time and, 10 minutes after the restart, was helpless as Messi played a sublime one-two with Malcom before firing a shot with the outside of his foot which hit the post.
Name on the trophy?
Certainly, if that had gone in, Barcelona would have been confident of forcing extra-time but Valencia were going nowhere.
Not only did they frustrate the Catalans, they also threatened themselves on the break and weren’t breached until 18 minutes from time.
Then, after Pique had gone close to reducing the arrears, Messi – who else – produced a neat finish following a corner after Domenech had palmed away Pique’s header.
If that was the cue for some more Copa del Rey highlights from the champions, we were mistaken.
Valencia played with a resoluteness you could only admire and held firm during a pulsating finale to spark wild celebrations.
Fourth place, a Champions League berth, and the Spanish Cup – all this despite languishing in mid-table at the beginning of the calendar year.
What a way to mark the club’s centenary year!
As for Barcelona, whose fans continued their tradition of whistling the Spanish national anthem before the showpiece – the Catalan fans have showed their disdain for the anthem in recent years – the only whistles at the end were for their team.
Coach Ernesto Valverde deserves to be in charge next season.
Yet, such is the fickle nature of football, his reputation has been so damaged by their embarrassing Champions League semi-final exit, quickly followed by this defeat, that, incredibly, winning La Liga may not be enough to keep him in a job.
That post-mortem, though, is for another day.
This was Valencia’s moment as coach Marcelino became the 13th boss at the club to win a title during their 100 years of history.
The Copa del Rey belongs to Valencia.
Key statistics
Coach Marcelino García Toral had not won any of his previous 20 encounters against Barca before tonight – as coach of either Recreativo Huelva, Racing Santander, Real Zaragoza, Villarreal or Valencia.
Valencia are only the second team to win the competition in the same year they celebrate their 100th anniversary, following Espanyol who defeated Atletico Madrid in the 2000 final.
Rodrigo’s winner took him level with Villarreal’s Karl Toko Ekambi as the Copa del Rey’s top scorer this season with five goals.
Valencia are the first side to take a lead by two goals in a Copa del Rey final against Barcelona since Real Madrid in 1974 (also against Barcelona).
Until now, Barcelona had held the Copa for the last 1,456 days.
This was the first final in 12 games where Pique has ended up on the losing side.
Messi has become the first player in Copa del Rey history to score in six different finals (seven goals).
This was his 28th career goal against Valencia in all competitions.
What’s next?
That is 2018/19 complete for both clubs. Both will meet in the final of the Spanish Super Cup at the start of next season. Both will play in the Champios League next season. As for who has had the more successful season, I will let you decide.
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