Valencia 0-2 Barcelona (0-3 aggregate): 5 talking points

Valencia played host to Barcelona for the second-leg of Copa del Rey semi-finals at Mestalla. Barcelona went into the contest with a 1-0 lead from the first-leg at Camp Nou. Ernesto Valverde made one change to the team that played the first-leg as Andre Gomes replaced Aleix Vidal on the right flank.

For Valencia, Simone Zaza, Geoffrey Kondogbia, and Ezequiel Garay returned to the starting lineup. Valencia came close to scoring in the first half but the game produced very few chances in the first 45 minutes. Barcelona started the second-half on the front foot and thrashed Valencia 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate to qualify for the finals.

Without much ado, let's take a look at the key talking points from the game

#5 Coutinho gets off the mark for the Blaugrana

First of many for the Brazilian

Time for Liverpool fans to look in the opposite direction. Two of their ex-players produced an eye-catching display at the Mestalla and combined well beautifully.

According to Opta Stats, Luis Suarez assisted Philippe Coutinho's first Liverpool goal back in February 2013 and has done the same thing again, but this time for Barcelona.

Brought on at half-time for struggling Andre Gomes, Philippe Coutinho was on target for the first time in Barcelona colors, since his club-record £142 million transfer from Liverpool.

The Uruguayan was the architect of the goal as he found Philippe Coutinho at the far post with a pinpoint cross. The Brazilian slid in beautifully to put it behind Domenech, within minutes after his introduction. After a slow start in Spain, Coutinho is beginning to show his class.

#4 Valencia’s threat slowly vanished after a bright start

Valencia struggled a lot in the second-half

Valencia started the game well and threatened Barcelona during the early minutes of the first-half. The first shot on target came from the ex-Arsenal man, Francis Coquelin. After a beautiful one-two with Simone Zaza, Coquelin forced Cillessen into making a save.

The decisive moment of the night came in the 14th minute. Jose Gaya crossed the ball into the box from left-wing and Rodrigo did well to put his head on the cross. But unfortunately for the Spaniard, it crashed into the woodwork and was cleared.

Valencia created a couple of decent opportunities in the second-half and came close again in the 74th minute. But somehow, Cillessen made a stunning save to deny the equalizer for Valencia. Marcelino's men struggled to threaten Barca since conceding the first goal and never looked like making a comeback.

#3 Andre Gomes disappointing once again

Another poor display by Andre Gomes

Andre Gomes was given a rare start by Ernesto Valverde on the right of midfield but the Portuguese failed to impress once again. He was the only change to the Barcelona team that played the first-leg a week ago, but the 24-year-old failed to produce a solid display.

Though he started well, he waned off as the game went on. He completely miscued a cross in the 20th minute and some of his passes were wayward. Defensively, he put Barcelona under pressure on an occasion when he gave the ball straight back to the opponents, causing panic at the back.

Valverde deservedly took him off at the half-time. With the arrival of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele, Andre Gomes' future at the club is all but over.

#2 Rodrigo impressive but Zaza nowhere close to his best

Zaza's poor form continues

Rodrigo was the best player on the night for Valencia. He came close to open the scoring in the first-half when he struck the woodwork in the 14th minute. He then forced Cillessen into another important save in the 27th minute.

He threatened Barcelona on the counter and looked lively on the night with his pace and work-rate. He hobbled off in the 55th minute and was replaced by Carlos Soler. A lot was expected of Simone Zaza but the Italian has a quiet night at the Mestalla. He scored 9 goals in his first 10 appearances for Valencia this season but found the net only once in his next 9 appearances.

He misplaced quite a few passes and was dominated by Umtiti and Pique in the air. He lacked match sharpness and was a mere spectator for most of the 90 minutes.

#1 Rakitic and Suarez produced a stunning display

Star of the night for Barcelona

Ivan Rakitic was superb for Barcelona and produced a stunning performance at the Mestalla. He completed 82 passes with a passing accuracy of 94%. He capped his brilliant performance with a well-taken goal. A poor pass from Gabriel was intercepted by Suarez and he teed up Ivan Rakitic. Rakitic did well to put it past Domenech and killed Valencia’s hope for a comeback.

Another player who deserves a special mention here is Luis Suarez. Though he did not score a goal, he provides 2 wonderful assists on the night. He was a live wire on the field and combined well with Messi in the first-half. He put in a tireless display and was the first player to most of the second ball in the final third. He also combined well with Coutinho and was Barcelona's best player on the night.