Ferran Torres, unleashed! 'Hat-trick' to lead the 'five-goal' victory over Valencia

FC Barcelona punished Valencia with their second thrashing in just eleven days, this time at Mestalla in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey (0-5). Ferran Torres was the star of another comfortable night for Hansi Flick's side, who had completely settled the tie within half an hour with four goals. Three of them were scored by the 'Shark', now the top scorer of the tournament alongside Julián Álvarez, both with 4 goals. There are three other players with the same number of goals, but they have already been eliminated (Jaime Mata, Luis Suárez, and Sito Barrera). 

The '7' from Barcelona opened the scoring at 2 minutes and 36 seconds, finishing first-time with a crossed shot from a pass by Balde from the side. In the 17th minute, Ferran doubled Barcelona's lead, sending a rebound from Dimitrievski into the back of the net after a shot from Lamine Yamal. Fermín López scored the third for Barcelona in the 23rd minute and, seven minutes later, the player from Foiós completed his 'hat-trick' with another crossed shot, following a pass from Raphinha. 

Ferran Torres' records after his 'hat-trick' against Valencia

With his hat-trick at Mestalla, the 'Shark' reached 10 goals in the 24-25 season and now has 7 goals in 8 matches against the 'Ché' team. Furthermore, Torres is the second player to score a 'hat-trick' in the first half hour of a Copa match, something that Sándor Kocsis achieved in just 22 minutes against Real Betis in 1959 (0-6). The Hungarian would complete his personal four-goal haul in the second half. 

And, since 2016, no player from Barcelona had scored three goals in a Copa match. Leo Messi, interestingly also against Valencia, did it in the first leg of the semifinals held at Camp Nou (7-0). That day, Luis Suárez scored the other four goals for the team managed by Luis Enrique, who would take the title in the final against Sevilla (2-0). The Turkish Arda Turan was the last to score a 'hat-trick' for Barcelona in the Copa, in the thrashing of Hércules in the round of 32 of the 16-17 season (7-0, on December 21, 2016).

Ferran, respectful towards Valencia after the thrashing

After the match, the 'Shark' valued the blue-and-burgundy victory, acknowledging that the team expected a much more complex match. "We thought it would be a difficult game, but we scored the first goals very early and, from there, Valencia dropped off," explained the player from Foiós. In that sense, the '7' wished luck to his former team for the remainder of the season. "It's hard to see the club of your childhood like this, suffering. I ask for support for the players, that the fans do not focus on what is happening off the field. I want Valencia to stay in the top division", Ferran pointed out.