Kaptoum extends Barça's unbeaten run as Luis Enrique's side stroll into Copa final

Kaptoum extends Barça's unbeaten run as Luis Enrique's side stroll into Copa final

Wilfrid Kaptoum scored his first Barcelona goal with his first touch of the game as the Catalan side drew 1-1 with Valencia, extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 29 - a new club record - and reaching the Copa del Rey final.  

A first half goal from Alvaro Negredo had looked set to give the home side a token win after they were humbled 7-0 at Camp Nou last Wednesday in the first leg. However, substitute Kaptoum popped up in the final stages to secure the draw, sending Barça into the final by a landslide. 

Pep Guardiola's side's 28 game unbeaten run had come to an end in a Copa game against Real Betis in 2011 and for a large part of the evening here it looked like Luis Enrique's side would fall short in the same competition. But when all three substitutes combined - Douglas, Juan Camara and Kaptoum - a new club record followed. 

It's a night which will be remembered particularly fondly by Kaptoum. The 19-year-old Cameroonian midfielder was making just his fourth appearance for the first team; he wouldn't have been expecting to create history. 

Given Barça's huge first leg win, there wasn't a great deal of excitement around this game. Luis Enrique had labelled it a "strange" match in the build up, while the majority of Valencia fans decided to stay away. Just 16,400 supporters attended Mestalla.

Lionel Messi and Co. stayed away, too. Instead, Luis Enrique named a heavily changed side, with Sergi Roberto the pick of the bunch in a lethargic first half.

Valencia also named a mix and match team, with Gary Neville presumably aware that recovering a seven-goal deficit - even with Barça's biggest stars missing - was an impossible challenge. 

Chances were few and far between, with Sandro Ramirez and Ivan Rakitic sending the visiting side's best openings over the bar. Munir then crafted his own opportunity, but his skanked shot was in contrast to the fancy footwork that had gone before.

At the other end, a fine Jeremy Mathieu block prevented a tap in for Santi Mina after good work from Pablo Piatti. Minutes later, 17-year-old Fran Villalba curled off target for Los Che. 

The breakthrough eventually arrived when Negredo slipped the offside trap. He unsuccessfully tried to chip Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but the rebound fell kindly and he rolled the ball into the empty net.

Neville's side were the better in the opening stages of the second period, too. Barça got out of jail thanks to some last ditch defending, before Santi Mina headed over and Ter Stegen produced a fantastic stop from a Danilo free kick. 

Barça weren't creating a great deal. Rakitic fathomed his own chance, but shot disappointingly at Jaume Domenech, while Munir was doing everything except finishing his chances. 

Fortunately for the Blaugrana, Luis Enrique's changes were about to change the game. Douglas fed Camara, whose cross was slid home by Kaptoum from inside the box. Sevilla or Celta Vigo will be waiting in May's final.