Barca, Valencia advance in Copa

Source: Agencies  |   2008-11-14  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

BARCELONA and Valencia advanced to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday while Villarreal joined fellow topflight side Real Madrid on the sideline after losing to inferior competition.

Third-division club Polideportivo Ejido drew 1-1 at Villarreal to easily advance after taking the first leg of the fourth-round match 5-0.

Jorge Molina redirected a centering cross home in the 49th minute for the visitors before Guillermo Franco scored Villarreal's lone goal of the tie five minutes later.

Villarreal will now focus on the Spanish league and the Champions League like Real Madrid, which went out to third-division Real Union on Wednesday after a last-minute goal allowed the Basque club to go through on away goals.

League leader Barcelona defeated Benidorm 1-0 and 2-0 on aggregate. Lionel Messi volleyed home the rebound in the 86th minute after goalkeeper Juan Carlos Caballero saved the Argentina international's penalty.

Goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto kept Barcelona ahead in the 19th with a diving save of Luis Miguel Loro's inswinging freekick.

Barcelona has won the competition a record 24 times.

Valencia easily advanced 7-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win over Portugalete at Mestalla Stadium.

In matchups between topflight clubs, Sporting Gijon beat Numancia 2-0 to advance 3-0 on aggregate, Mallorca was through 3-1 after a 2-0 win over Malaga, and 23-time champion Athletic Bilbao needed a late penalty to advance 3-2 on aggregate over Recreativo Huelva.

In Italy, Udinese defeated Reggina in a penalty shootout to advance to the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup.