Copa del Rey 2017: Quarter-Final Results and Semi-Final Draw Schedule
Barcelona booked their place in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday as they hammered Real Sociedad 5-2 at the Camp Nou, giving them a 6-2 aggregate victory.
After winning the first leg 1-0 at the Anoeta Stadium last week, they turned on the style on home soil. Denis Suarez bagged a brace on the night, while Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Arda Turan also got on the scoresheet in an impressive attacking performance.
The Blaugrana join Celta Vigo, who eliminated Real Madrid on Wednesday, Atletico Madrid and Alaves in the hat for what should be a fascinating semi-final draw.
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Here are the results in full from the quarter-final ties, a recap of Barca's win over La Real and a reminder of how the other three sides secured their progression.
| Tuesday, Jan. 24 | Alaves 0-0 Alcorcon | Alaves 2-0 Alcorcon |
| Wednesday, Jan. 25 | Eibar 2-2 Atletico Madrid | Eibar 2-5 Atletico Madrid |
| Wednesday, Jan. 25 | Celta Vigo 2-2 Real Madrid | Celta Vigo 4-3 Real Madrid |
| Thursday, Jan. 26 | Barcelona 5-2 Real Sociedad | Barcelona 6-2 Real Sociedad |
The draw for the semi-finals of the competition will take place on Friday, January 27.
Thursday Recap
After netting his first goal for the club on Sunday in the 4-0 win over Eibar, Denis Suarez was on target again for the Blaugrana, quickly dashing any slim hopes the visitors may have had of mounting a comeback.
The midfielder was on hand to sweep home after some wonderful interplay between Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez in the 17th minute. Per OptaJose, the 23-year-old is enjoying a fine spell in front of goal:
Following on from the opening goal, the match became a tetchy affair, with a flurry of yellow cards issued by referee Juan Martinez Munuera before the break after various flashpoints. Nevertheless, Barcelona remained in complete control of the tie.
They were in an even better position 10 minutes into the second period as Messi slotted home a penalty after Inigo Martinez felled Neymar in the box.
At this juncture, La Real opted to throw caution to the wind, and within seven minutes of Messi's goal, they had one of their own, with Juanmi turning home after good work from Martinez. However, within seconds, Barcelona's two-goal lead on the night was restored.
Messi was again involved as he threaded a neat pass into the path of Luis Suarez, who made no mistake with his finish. Per Ben Hayward of Goal, although the Uruguayan has looked a little jaded this season, his numbers are still so impressive:
Sociedad weren't deterred, though, and they continued to cause Barca problems at the back. Willian Jose was the next man on the scoresheet, diverting a smart header past Jasper Cillessen to make it 3-2.
Unfortunately for the visitors, they were powerless to prevent Luis Enrique's side from scything through them at the other end. First, Arda Turan made it four for the hosts before Denis Suarez grabbed his second of the night to add more gloss to the scoreline.
Quarter-Final Recap
The biggest casualty of the final eight proved to be Real Madrid, who were eventually eliminated by an aggregate score of 4-3 following two pulsating matches against Celta Vigo.
After a memorable 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu, Celta clung on to draw 2-2 at the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos in another breathless game. The Galicians went ahead twice through a Danilo own goal and Daniel Wass, although they were pulled back twice by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lucas Vazquez.
But eventually Celta were able to see the contest out, and given the way in which Eduardo Berizzo's side go after their opponents, they will be a dangerous prospect in the semi-finals. Per Kieran Canning of Agence France-Presse, it seems they're going all out for the cup, too:
Meanwhile, Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has calmed any talk of a possible crisis; his side have lost three of their last four, having recently gone on a record-breaking 40-game unbeaten run.
"I am not worried, nor angry," he said, per AFP Sport (h/t Sky Sports). "Lately we've [had] chances that we haven't taken, that will change.”
Also through after a 2-2 draw in the second leg are Atletico Madrid, who won 5-2 on aggregate against Eibar. With their title challenge wilting, this is a competition upon which manager Diego Simeone will be placing renewed emphasis.
Atletico made a few changes on Wednesday, and a bullet header from Jose Gimenez settled any nerves early on. The visitors did fall 2-1 down after goals from Sergi Enrich and Pedro Leon, although a late strike from Juanfran ensured they avoided defeat.
The other team to make up the final four is Alaves, who battled to a 0-0 draw against second-tier Alcorcon, having won the first leg 2-0. As noted by the Spanish Football Podcast, their pedigree in this competition doesn't quite stack up to the others involved:
Nonetheless, they have been in fine form since their return to La Liga this season. Alaves sit in 12th spot, a long way clear of relegation trouble, and have proved extremely hard to beat this season, with just six defeats in their 19 league games.
Evidently, they aren't daunted by the prospect of facing big names either. They have already grabbed a draw against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon and famously won 2-1 against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in September.
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