Andres Iniesta says that Barcelona are intent on reaching the Copa del Rey final. The club will be up against Valencia in the semi-final.

Even though new manager Gary Neville has been unable to get much success at the Mestalla, he has been doing well in the cup competitions. Hence, Valencia are likely to be a soft threat for Barcelona. Iniesta was much about goal scoring and assists a few years ago, but he has now blossomed into a new role as the captain of the team. Barcelona have appeared in the final of the Copa del Rey for the past three seasons and they are now the reigning defending champions.

For this aspect, Iniesta says that the team will be looking to put in a good performance. Barcelona have showed little signs of weakness this season and it is impressive considering that they have been without star striker Lionel Messi for a significant chunk. They are top of the table with a three-point advantage over Atletico Madrid. This advantage can be increased if they manage to win the game in hand. Iniesta may have scored only one goal in 17 appearances this season, but his growing importance on the pitch has been praised by many including manager Luis Enrique.

One reason for the lower goal return has been his position on the pitch.“We are just a step away from a place in the final and we want to keep doing things right. We are the current champions and we want to reach the final once again this year.They will be intense matches and we have the game in the league as a reference point when we failed to win away.That says a lot about Valencia,” said the midfielder while referring to the 1-1 draw between the two teams earlier in the season.