Sevilla beats Valencia to reach Copa del Rey quarterfinals

MADRID -- — Luuk de Jong scored two first-half goals as Sevilla cruised to 3-0 win over Valencia on Wednesday, reaching the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey for the second time in three seasons.

Ivan Rakitic also scored in the first half for Sevilla, which also made it to the last eight in 2019. The five-time Copa champion will be trying to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2013.

Valencia won its eighth Copa title in 2019 and reached the quarterfinals last season, before losing to Granada.

De Jong scored in the 20th and 33rd minutes at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, and Rakitic added the third in the 38th with a neat lob over Valencia goalkeeper Jaume Doménech from inside the area.

Every Sevilla player touched the ball in the buildup of the second goal by De Jong.

The bad news for Sevilla was that captain Jesús Navas had to be replaced because of an apparent muscle injury in the 65th.

Sevilla sits fourth in the Spanish league standings.

Valencia, not far from the relegation zone in the league, played without some of its regular starters.

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