Gameiro, Rodrigo down Barça to secure Valencia Copa del Rey win
Two first half goals for Valencia proved to be enough for Marcelino's men with Lionel Messi offering hope for Barça pulling a goal back in the 73rd minute.
Barcelona vs Valencia: Copa del Rey Final: as it happened
Valencia beat Barcelona 2-1 to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday in Seville, 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 Benito Villamarín stadium.
Record 30-times Cup winners Barcelona struggled without injured duo Luis Suárez and Ousmane Dembélé but Lionel Messi pulled the Catalans back into the game with a finish from close range.
Gonçalo 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.
Barcelona vs Valencia: Copa del Rey Final preview
Such is the current level of expectation at FC Barcelona, even a Copa del Rey triumph this evening for the Catalan side will be tainted and viewed by many Culés as an underachievement with the hangover to the Champions League defeat at Anfield still lingering.
Despite bagging the domestic league title some weeks ago, the defeat to Liverpool was the focal point of the Barça press conference last night where Gerard Piqué, Lionel Messi and Ernesto Valverde faced questions from the media with the Anfield defeat and subsequent fall-out the focal point of the questioning.
Valencia come into the game with a slightly more positive dynamic hanging around the club who celebrate their centenary this year. Despite elimination from the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League at the hands of arsenal in the semi-final, a subsequent fourth place in LaLiga thus guaranteeing Champions League football at Mestalla next season has been the perfect tonic for Marcelino's men coming into the final.
What they said, ahead of the game captain's from both sides analysed the Sevilla Copa del Rey final.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona): “This season we have put in some great performances and we have to give it all being aware of the importance of a final with the chance to win a trophy.”
Dani Parejo (Valencia): "I've spent eight seasons at Valencia CF, and it hasn't been an easy journey or a bed of roses. Thanks to hard work and consistency, and to the people who have believed in me, I'm 24 hours away from playing in a final for the club. It's incredible and would be a dream for me to lift the cup with Valencia. It's a very significant year for us: We didn't have the best start to the season, even though we've achieved our objectives, and this next goal would be the icing on the cake of a great year."
