Holders Atletico Madrid set up a mouthwatering Copa del Rey semi-final with city rivals Real Madrid after beating Athletic Bilbao 2-1 on Wednesday to win 3-1 on aggregate.
Barcelona also assured their place in the last four with a 5-1 victory over Levante at the Camp Nou to seal a 9-2 rout on aggregate.
In Bilbao, Aritz Aduriz had powered the hosts into a deserved lead four minutes before half-time and Athletic were only denied a bigger advantage at the break by two outstanding saves from Thibaut Courtois.
However, Atletico regrouped at the break and levelled 10 minutes after the restart when Raul Garcia smashed home Emiliano Insua`s cross.
Diego Costa sealed their passage into the last four in the final stages as he slotted home his first goal of 2014 on the counter-attack to inflict Athletic Bilbao`s first ever defeat at their San Mames ground, which they have used since the start of the season.
Atletico will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu, where they beat Real 2-1 in last year`s final, for the first leg of the semi-final next week with the return to come at the Vicente Calderon the following week.
"In the first 30 minutes we were in control of the tie, if not the match," said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.
"From then until half-time they had a great end to the half, but we came out strong in the second-half and got the goal which gave us confidence and strength."
Simeone`s men will now face Real three times in little over three weeks in league and Cup.
However, they are unbeaten in four meetings against Madrid and Barcelona this season and the Argentine feels his side now believe they can compete with Spain`s big two.
"This season we will play four more games against Barcelona and Real Madrid and that is good because it tests you more, but you also lose the fear of playing in those games."
Barcelona`s passage into the semi-finals was far smoother as they thrashed Levante at a sodden and sparsely populated Camp Nou.
Sergi Roberto`s early own goal had given the visitors some hope of an improbable comeback from last week`s 4-1 defeat.
However, that was quickly extinguished as Adriano`s long-range strike and Carles Puyol`s thumping header gave Barca the lead on the night before half-time.
Two goals in quick succession after the break from close range by Alexis Sanchez extended the hosts lead.
Cesc Fabregas rounded off the scoring as his low effort beat Javi Jimenez at his near post 21 minutes from time.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.