Skip to main content

Valencia knock Barcelona off Copa del Rey throne

Reuters Sunday, 26 May 2019
Text size A A A
Valencia beat Barcelona 2-1 to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday, ending the Spanish champions’ four-year winning streak in the competition and denying them a domestic double.

Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo Moreno struck first-half goals to give Marcelino’s dominant Valencia control of the final in Seville’s sweltering Benito Villamarin stadium.

Record 30-times Cup winners Barcelona struggled without injured forwards Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele but Lionel Messi pulled the Catalans back into the game with a close-range finish.

Goncalo Guedes missed a gilt-edged chance in stoppage-time for Valencia but they held on to win their first major trophy since last lifting the Cup in 2008.

“I’m so happy because for me, my family, it’s incredible,” said Valencia captain Dani Parejo. “A club like Valencia deserves a lot more joy like this. I don’t have the words, it’s incredible.

“We’ve made history in a really significant year, our centenary year.”

Valencia finished fourth in La Liga after a strong second half of the season, reaching the Europa League semi-finals and ending an impressive campaign with this victory.

By contrast, Barcelona’s campaign collapsed in the last fortnight as they threw away a three-goal Champions League semi-final lead to be eliminated by Liverpool before letting the Cup slip out of their hands.

Barcelona were bidding to lift themselves from their humiliation on Merseyside by securing the ninth domestic double in their history, but despite Messi’s efforts, they were over-run by a determined and well-drilled Valencia side.

Gerard Pique was forced to clear Rodrigo’s effort off the line before Gameiro blasted Marcelino’s side ahead in the 22nd minute after good work from Jose Luis Gaya.

The Catalans failed to create openings and Rodrigo nodded home the second after Carlos Soler whipped a ball across the face of goal.

Messi struck the post with a delightful outside-of-the-boot effort before slotting home the rebound when Jaume Domenech saved Clement Lenglet’s header for his 51st goal of the season, but it was not enough.

“Valencia are worthy champions and it’s also been a good year for us,” said Pique.

“It’s always a good year when you win La Liga but the expectation was to have an even better year and that’s not been the case. The season ends with a bittersweet feeling because it could have been better.

“We aren’t worrying about the manager’s future, we must analyze ourselves and try to improve. The other decisions aren’t in our hands, but we’ve said more than once that we would like him to stay on.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THREE BOYS CAUGHT RUBBING STUDENTS AT AAU

on 15th May, 2019 at 8:10 p.m, three young boys were caught rubbing students of Ambrose Alli University AAU Ekpoma Edo state. Information from this operation by these young boy states that these boys stole different kings of cell phones, and also transferred all the money in the bank of account of one the student and as well wanted to rape one of the student. investigations were carried out immediately by the school Anti-cultist and the police. and information reached that these young boys returned from Irrua were they had their first operation before entering Ekpoma. these young boys were caught by some of the student who later pursued them with a car to get them down. and they were seriously beaten and injured. before handing over to the police for further investigations and  arrest.
Post a Comment
Read more

Columbia Sportswear Is Ready to Pass on Trump Tariffs to Consumers

Columbia Sportswear Co.  is feeling the pain from the U.S. trade war with China, and if the situation intensifies, Chief Executive Officer Tim Boyle says consumers will feel it too. The Trump administration’s latest tariff proposal on goods imported from China has forced the outdoor-gear and apparel maker to spend more time managing its supply chain than its sales operations, Boyle said in an interview on Bloomberg TV. The levies have also led him to put distribution projects on hold. We will pass on the prices if we have to,” Boyle said. “Again, this is a tax on commodities that American consumers are going to be consuming, so yes these taxes will be passed on.” The company had been  largely spared financial pain  in the initial rounds of tariffs. But the ongoing dispute has sucked up hours and resources it hadn’t planned for. Earlier this month, the U.S. proposed 25% tariffs on an additional $300 billion of goods from China, including apparel and footwear. Boyle said the company has
1 comment
Read more

BOY COUGHT STEALING WOMAN'S PANT AT OSUN STATE

A 19 years boy on Monday was sentenced to 6 years in prisonment for allergedly being cought stealing  a woman's under wear at osun state. he was said to have been taking these under wear to some Yahoo boys where he would be paid some reasonable amount of money. Magistrate Rofiat Olayemi sentenced the convict without any option to pay fine. The Prosecutor, Insp. Jafani Musilimi, had told the court that the convict committed the offence on January 28, at about 10 a.m. at No. 12, Ibokun Road, Oja-Oba area, Osogbo. Musilimi said the convict broke into the apartment of one Folashade Ganiyu and stole three underpants belonging to her inside her bathroom. “The convict also stole a Techno mobile phone belonging to the complainant. The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 412 and 249(d) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun, 2002. The convict was charged with theft and breach of public peace 
1 comment
Read more