MADRID, Feb 3: Valencia reached its second Copa del Rey semifinal in four years by defeating Cádiz 2-1 on Wednesday, while Rayo Vallecano made the last four for the first time in four decades by beating Mallorca 1-0.
Hugo Duro scored the winner for Valencia in the 79th minute after setting up the opener by Gonçalo Guedes in the 24th to lead the hosts to the semifinals for the first time since it won the title in 2019.
Cádiz scored with a penalty kick converted by Lucas Pérez in the 55th at Mestalla Stadium. It played the final minutes of the game with 10 men after Juan Cala was sent off with a second yellow for a hard sliding tackle.
Rayo continued its good run at home by defeating Mallorca to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1982.
Óscar Trejo converted a 44th-minute penalty to send the Madrid club, which had not even made the quarterfinals since 2002. Rayo was missing striker Radamel Falcao, who played for Colombia in World Cup qualifying during the international break. (AP)
