Copa del Rey: Barcelona Thrashes Levante as Atletico Madrid also Set to play a Semi Final clash With Real Madrid

Barcelona cruised into the last-four of the Copa del Rey with a 5-1 second-leg thrashing of Levante to win 9-2 on aggregate.

The Players Celebrate Puyol Goal

The Catalan giants were 6-2 ahead on aggregate at half-time after fallen behind to Loukas Vyntra’s header, before replying through Adriano and veteran Carles Puyol.

Alexis Sanchez scored twice after the break and Cesc Fabregas added a fifth with 23 minutes left.

Barca will be up against the winner of Sunday’s second-leg quarter-final tie between Real Sociedad and Racing Santander in the semi-finals. Sociedad are 3-1 up from their first meeting.

Messi sat on Barca bench for the whole of 90 minutes in Tuesday’s second-leg fixture. A Juanfran own goal and Christian Tello’s hat-trick- each set-up by the Argentine captain- helped the Camp Nou outfit come into the second leg with a 4-1 lead.

The other semi-final will be between Madrid city rivals, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Current holders Atletico edged Athletic Bilbao 2-1 to win the tie 3-1 on aggregate in the new Estadio San Mames.

Bilbao got in the ascendancy on the night through striker Aritz Anduriz’s superb strike.

Raul Garcia leveled for the Los Roji Blancos after the break before Diego Costa slotted his first goal of 2014 to set up another Madrid Derby with City rivals, Real.

The two capital city clubs played out a heated final last season, in which Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off as Atletico secured their first derby win in as many years.