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Countinho scores debut goal as Barca reach King's Cup final

Xinhua,February 09, 2018 Adjust font size:

MADRID, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Phillipe Coutinho scored his first goal for FC Barcelona on Thursday night to help his new club qualify for the final of the King's Cup for the fifth consecutive season with a 2-0 win away to Valencia, which gave Barca a 3-0 aggregate triumph.

Coutinho was on hand to score on the far post following a Luis Suarez cross to kill of any chance Valencia had of overturning the 1-0 deficit from the previous week.

Ivan Rakitic sealed Barca's place in the final with a right foot shot following another assist from Suarez with eight minutes left in the game.

Coutinho had only been in the game for four minutes before his goal. He replaced Andre Gomes at halftime following an entertaining first half in which Valencia striker Rodrigo Moreno was close to levelling the tie with a header that bounced off the crossbar and with another shot well saved by Jasper Cillessen in the Barca goal.

The away goal left Valencia needing to score three times in order to qualify, and with Rakitic and Busquets bossing sweeping up in midfield that never looked likely, although Cillessen made a wonderful save to deny Jose Gaya with 20 minutes remaining.

A good night all round for Barca was rounded off when Yerry Mina replaced Gerard Pique seven minutes from the end.

Action on Wednesday night saw Sevilla book their second Cup final place in the past 3 seasons as they won 2-0 at home to Leganes to claim a 3-1 aggregate win thanks to goals from Joaquin Correa and Fran Vazquez. Enditem