VALENCIA: Forward Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick in the first 30 minutes to lead an imperious Barcelona to a 5-0 rout of Valencia in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Thursday.

Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal were also on target for the record 31-time Spanish Cup winners as they swaggered to victory at an upset Mestalla stadium.

Earlier Real Sociedad progressed with a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man Osasuna, joining Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in a strong final four.

Playing in his home townagainst his childhood club, Torres scored from a quick counter-attack in the second minute, running onto a fine Alejandro Balde through ball and finishing clinically, and extended the lead in the 17th when he fired home a rebound from a Yamal strike that ricocheted off the post.

Lopez scored the third in another counter five minutes later, ghosting behind the line from a pass by Pedri to score, and Torres gave Barca a four-goal lead on the half-hour mark with a strike from the edge of the box.

The visitors took their foot offthe gas after the break but Yamal added a fifth goal in the 59nd minute with help from Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, who made a howler when Yamal`s shot deflected off his gloves and into the net.

It was Barcelona`s second thrashing of Valencia in less than two weeks, after a 7-1 victory in LaLiga against opponents who are second-bottom of the standings and struggling to avoid relegation.

`I really wish Valencia the best of luck because outside the pitch I`m just another fan,Torres told TVE after deciding not to celebrate any of his goals out of respect. `It`s hard to see the club of your childhood, the club of your life suffer like this...

seeing how they are going through such a hard time.

Valencia coach Carlos Corberan said his team had been left hurt by the defeat.

`It`s a very tough loss, especially hard because we feel the same as we did after the league game, but in front of our fans at Mestalla,` he said. `We have to give a better account of ourselves... the fans deserve a lotmore than what we have been capable of.

In San Sebastian Ander Barrenetxea and Brais Mendez struck for hosts Sociedad before Osasuna had Alejandro Catena sent off for a wild challenge after 35 minutes.

Osasuna beat the same opposition 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday but Catena`s dismissal effectively ended any hope of mounting a comeback.

La Real reached the Copa semi-finals for the third time in six seasons, last winning in the 2020 edition.-Agencies