Copa del Rey: Roberto Soldado scores late penalty as Granada beat Valencia to seal semi-final berth

Madrid: Granada reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time in five decades by eliminating defending champion Valencia 2-1 on Tuesday thanks to a stoppage-time penalty awarded by video review. Former Valencia forward Roberto Soldado converted the penalty four minutes into added time after VAR awarded the spot-kick for a handball by a Valencia player after a corner. “It was an open match, with chances for both teams,” Valencia coach Albert Celades said. “In the end the game was decided by a VAR decision.” The 34-year-old Soldado had put the hosts ahead three minutes into the match, but Valencia equalized through Rodrigo near halftime.

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Valencia, an eight-time Copa champion, were seeking their third straight semi-final appearance. Granada will be playing in the last four for the fourth time — and first since 1969. They hadn’t made it to the last eight in 19 years, and their best Copa campaign was a runner-up finish in 1959. Valencia had eliminated third-division teams in the previous rounds. They needed a penalty shootout to get past Cultural Leonesa in the last 16. Granada are playing in the first division this season after a two-year absence. On Wednesday, Villarreal visit Mirandés, the only second-division club still alive in the competition. On Thursday, Real Madrid host Real Sociedad and Barcelona visits Athletic Bilbao.