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Valverde: Barcelona deserved to reach Copa del Rey final

Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde said the Spanish giants deservedly reached the Copa del Rey final after getting past Valencia.

Goals from Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic saw Barca to a 2-0 win on Thursday as the cup holders advanced 3-0 on aggregate.

The victory ensured Barca progressed to the Copa del Rey final for a fifth year in a row and Valverde heaped praise on his team ahead of the final against Sevilla.

"We faced a team who were very motivated with a city behind them," Valverde said afterward.

"In the first leg, Valencia didn't let us score many, in the second we have dominated despite them having good chances, but we deserve to progress.