Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino urged his team not to be distracted by their Copa del Rey final date with Real Madrid in April after securing their progress.

The Catalan side drew 1-1 in San Sebastian in the second leg to advance 3-1 on aggregate courtesy of last week’s 2-0 triumph at the Nou Camp.
That set up an April 19 meeting with Carlo Ancelotti’s team at the Mestalla, but Martino reminded his players after the match that there was plenty to keep them occupied between now and then.
“It’s a Clasico – that’s all I am saying,” he said on www.fcbarcelona.cat. “It’s very difficult to assess how the teams will be in two months, so first we will concentrate on the games we have before the final.
“There are three objectives this season and we fulfilled one of them (on Wednesday). We completed our objective. These players always play in finals.
“The team played a good match, but we can still play better. We still have time to improve – we can do it for more than 50 or 70 minutes. We could have scored more goals.”
Lionel Messi netted the only goal for the visitors, with Antoine Griezmann grabbing an equaliser three minutes from time.
Arch rivals Real advanced on Tuesday with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid, and Martino acknowledged that meant his team “had the obligation to qualify”, adding: “We couldn’t miss it.”
Wednesday’s result saw Barca reach their fourth cup final in six years and offered up the prospect of gaining revenge for Real’s 1-0 final win in the 2011 showpiece – secured by Cristiano Ronaldo’s extra-time goal.
Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta denied the Primera Division champions would be out for revenge, however.
“I wouldn’t say that there are accounts to settle with Real Madrid, but it’s a good chance to win another title,” he said.

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Juan Mata hopes Manchester United’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai will kick start the reigning champions’ faltering season.

United slipped 11 points behind fourth-placed Liverpool on Wednesday after an underwhelming goalless draw at Arsenal.
One advantage United have over their rivals is that they have nine days until their next match, which is away at Crystal Palace.
So while Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool take part in the FA Cup, United have decided to embark on a short break to Dubai.
When they return, Mata hopes United will be ready to push for that Champions League place which currently seems to be slipping through their fingers.
“We are going to rest a bit, train as a group and prepare ourselves for the rest of the season,” Mata said.
“Once we come back from this mini break hopefully we will win many matches.”
Mata has only been on the winning side once since his £37.1million transfer from Chelsea.
Moyes started by playing Mata in the number 10 position against Cardiff, but the Spaniard began the clash at the Emirates on the left flank.
Moyes has a wealth of options when it comes to attacking midfielders so it will take a while before the Scot works out the best way to integrate the former Valencia man into his starting line-up.
Mata insists he is happy to play wherever his manager chooses, though.
“Throughout my career I have played on the left, on the right and just behind the striker,” Mata said.
“I don’t mind playing anywhere the manager tells me.”
It is easy to understand why Mata is content to be shifted around the United team.
After spending most of the first half of the season on the bench at Chelsea, Mata is just happy to be on the pitch.
And having found a place to live in Manchester, Mata finally seems to have finally found contentment in the north-west after a difficult six-month period which has put the player’s chances of playing in the World Cup in jeopardy.
“I am happy at the club, very happy,” Mata said.
“I am enjoying my football, I am getting minutes on the pitch, I am in a very, very big club and I hope we finish the season well.
“David De Gea has helped me settle, the same with Chicharito (Javier Hernandez), (Antonio) Valencia, and Rafael, they all speak Spanish but everyone there has helped me.
“People like (Ryan) Giggs have been here for many years and there’s (Wayne) Rooney and (Robin) van Persie, they have all treated me phenomenally well.”

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Steven Gerrard secured Liverpool an incredible 3-2 stoppage-time victory at Craven Cottage, rifling home from the penalty spot to break struggling Fulham’s hearts.

The match was threatened earlier in the week by a proposed strike on the London Underground – and Brendan Rodgers’ six-match unbeaten league run looked in serious danger of ending on several occasions in west London.
Rene Meulensteen’s side produced a performance that belied their position at the bottom of the Premier League, only for them to twice see leads pegged back and then Reds skipper Gerrard strike home in stoppage time.
It was a fine win but one in which Liverpool failed to get anywhere near the heady heights reached in Saturday’s 5-1 mauling of Arsenal, falling behind after just eight minutes.
Kolo Toure, guilty of gifting West Brom a 1-1 draw 10 days ago, could only watch on in horror when he sliced a Kieran Richardson cross into his own goal.
Fulham continued to impress but were undone as half-time approached by a wonderful first-time Gerrard through ball, which found Daniel Sturridge to net his eighth goal since returning from injury.
While Liverpool were somewhat fortunate to go in level at half-time, they began the second half with renewed vigour and Luis Suarez rattled the far post as the Whites looked increasingly unsteady.
Fortunately for them, Martin Skrtel was looking even more shaky and his defensive mistake allowed Manchester United academy graduate Richardson to net from close range.
The lead did not last long, though, as Philippe Coutinho sent a fine shot past Maarten Stekelenburg via a slight deflection off former Everton defender John Heitinga.
Fulham looked good value to follow up their thrilling 2-2 draw at Manchester United with another point, only for Sascha Riether to foul Sturridge, allowing Gerrard to fire home a stoppage-time winner from the spot.
Few expected Fulham to suffer a ninth home loss of the season given the way they flew out of the blocks.
Less than a minute was on the clock when Lewis Holtby sent a lovely chipped ball over to Darren Bent, who played in the overlapping Ryan Tunnicliffe for a strike that stung the palms of Simon Mignolet.
Dan Burn headed over as Fulham continued in the ascendancy, with their early endeavours rewarded with just eight minutes on the clock.
Holtby’s exquisite through ball put Richardson behind Skrtel, with the former United man’s cross comically turned into an own goal by Toure.
It was quite the start by the Whites, for whom things came close to improving moments later as Holtby met a Darren Bent knock-back with a half-volley that flew inches wide.
Liverpool were struggling to quell Fulham’s intensity, but with Suarez in attack it would not be long before Stekelenburg was called into action.
The Netherlands goalkeeper denied his former Ajax team-mate after impressively wriggling free to turn on target, before thwarting the Reds striker’s cheeky attempt at a lob.
Stekelenburg saved Steve Sidwell’s blushes after his woeful backpass almost put Suarez through on goal, with Sturridge and Coutinho wasting chances before Fulham regrouped.
Former Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise and Sidwell saw shots blocked either side of a Bent headed as the hosts upped the ante, coming closest when Holtby played a neat one-two with William Kvist and continued to fire into the side-netting.
They were missed chances the home side were made to rue four minutes before half-time.
Getting back on his feet after slipping just inside the Liverpool half, Gerrard played a wonderful first-time ball with the outside of the right boot that split the Fulham defence open and found Sturridge to coolly slot home off the inside of the far post.
The England internationals both came close to adding to that before half-time, from which they returned with Suarez whipping a free-kick just wide of the far post.
The Uruguay international was soon back in action again, first lashing across the face of goal before striking the post after turning his man on the edge of the 18-yard box.
It looked only a matter of time until there was a goal, but few expected it to come from Fulham.
A hopeful, if impressive, Sidwell shot from his own half was all the Whites had to show until the 63rd minute, when Liverpool gifted Fulham another lead.
Skrtel could not clear a Riether cross from the right, wiping out team-mate Jon Flanagan as the ball fell kindly for Richardson to bury from close range.
However, the lead was not to last as Coutinho showed impressive skill and poise to burst into space and strike, via a slight deflection of Heitinga, past Stekelenburg
The Fulham goalkeeper was soon forced off after taking a bad knock in denying Suarez, with his replacement David Stockdale seeing Coutinho struck just wide before substitute Joao Teixeira fired over on his debut.
And, just as it looked like the west Londoners would take a deserved point, Riether was adjudged to have taken down Sturridge in the box.
Dowd pointed to the spot and Gerrard smashed home the spot-kick in front of the raucous visiting fans, who almost had another to celebrate when Teixeira struck over.

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Emmanuel Adebayor claimed a double as Tottenham condemned Newcastle to a fourth successive home defeat for the first time in the Barclays Premier League era.

The Togo international striker turned in a fine individual display as Spurs tore Alan Pardew’s depleted side to shreds at St James’ Park to maintain the pressure on the top four with a 4-0 rout.
He struck from close range with just 19 minutes gone on a wintry Tyneside night to give the visitors a lead they never looked like relinquishing, and Aaron Lennon was only denied a second by the post.
The game was effectively over eight minutes into the second half when Paulinho was presented with an equally straightforward task to double his side’s lead after goalkeeper Tim Krul failed to hold Adebayor’s stinging shot.
Adebayor doubled his tally with seven minutes remaining when the unfortunate Krul made a good save to deny substitute Andros Townsend, but saw the frontman follow up to complete the scoring.
Tottenham were not finished, however, and the Dutchman found himself picking the ball out of his net for the final time five minutes later after being beaten from distance by substitute Nacer Chadli.
Tim Sherwood’s men were simply too pacy, too inventive and too clinical for their hosts, who could not match them in any department.
The win took Spurs’ points tally to seven from a possible nine since their 5-1 humbling by Manchester City and kept them firmly in the race for Champions League qualification.
But for Pardew, it proved a miserable way to celebrate 150 games at the helm and provided further evidence that, despite his denials, the club has little more than pride for which to play for the remainder of the season.
It was the first game at St James’ since a second successive 3-0 derby defeat against Sunderland and neither the performance nor the result went down well with the home fans among a crowd of 48,264 who have now seen their side claim just four of the last 24 points they have contested.
That, coupled with simmering resentment over owner Mike Ashley’s decision to sell and not replace Yohan Cabaye last month, made for an ugly atmosphere, and one which is unlikely to improve in the short term if things do not improve markedly on the pitch.
Newcastle went into the game looking for a first home win since Boxing Day and having lost their last three in the league at home, and there was little evidence that they were capable of addressing that situation.
There have been, and continue to be, mitigating factors with Fabricio Coloccini, Cheick Tiote and Loic Remy still missing and Cabaye long departed, and despite the return from injury of both Yoan Gouffran and Papiss Cisse, there was still a makeshift look about Pardew’s team.
By contrast, Spurs looked a unit from the off despite making three changes to the side which won 1-0 at Everton at the weekend and they might have gone in at the break with significantly more than a single-goal lead.
Magpies midfielder Vurnon Anita had already deflected an Adebayor shot inches wide and Krul saved a Paulinho shot from a tight angle when the visitors took a 19th-minute lead.
Midfielder Nabil Bentaleb shook off Moussa Sissoko all too easily wide on the left to deliver a cross which Krul could only palm to Adebayor, who had the simplest of tasks to tap it home.
With Paulinho orchestrating and Mousa Dembele and Lennon running at the home side, Tottenham threatened at regular intervals and particularly on the break.
Mike Williamson only just managed to get to Kyle Walker’s driven 24th-minute cross ahead of Lennon after Paulinho had carved Newcastle wide-open and as the half wore on, Adebayor, Dembele and Lennon started to produce their full range of tricks.
Hard work and determination kept Pardew’s men in it, if only just at times, and they had chances of their own, if few and far between.
Indeed, they might have taken the lead themselves had Cisse got a more decisive touch to Luuk de Jong’s eighth-minute knock-down in front of goal, and the striker also lobbed wide under pressure from advancing keeper Hugo Lloris with 26 minutes gone.
Spurs extended their lead in exhilarating style with just eight minutes of the second half gone when Paulinho flicked Bentaleb’s pass into the path of Adebayor and then followed up to score when Krul could only parry the striker’s shot.
Gouffran, Mathieu Debuchy and Cisse all tested Lloris in quick succession, but Adebayor’s mishit volley after Krul had saved Townsend’s effort and Chadli’s dipping, curling late strike completed a miserable night for Newcastle.

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England manager Roy Hodgson has ruled out the possibility of John Terry coming out of international retirement for the World Cup.

There has been a clamour for Terry to return to the England fold during the defender’s successful season with Chelsea.
Hodgson says there is no question of him asking the former captain to play for the Three Lions in Brazil, however.
Hodgson said: “John has retired and as far as I am concerned that is the situation.
“We have got along without him for the whole of the qualification and quite a few friendly matches as well so we will have to get along without him in the future.”
Terry has enjoyed a renaissance since Jose Mourinho came back to Stamford Bridge for a second spell as manager.
The 33-year-old centre-back’s partnership with Gary Cahill has been particularly pleasing for the Chelsea boss and the club’s fans, who have watched the Londoners climb to the top of the Barclays Premier League recently.
England’s second highest goal scorer Gary Lineker led the calls for Terry’s reintegration on Twitter last week when he posted: “Must be hugely tempting for Roy Hodgson to pick up the phone to John Terry. Solid regular partnership with (Gary) Cahill. Best option by far.”
But to be clear on the matter, Hodgson reiterated his stance on Terry when quizzed about the 78-cap defender for a second time.
“As far as I am concerned retirement is retirement,” Hodgson said.
“You respect that when players retire, we move on.
“We moved on after our first qualification game when John Terry limped off and since that time we have chosen the players who are available, who have represented us well in my opinion, so we will continue with that.”
Terry called time on his England career in September 2012, accusing the Football Association of making his position within the international set-up “untenable” following its pursuit of a racism charge against him.
The FA banned Terry for four matches for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand in October 2012, but the defender was cleared of criminal charges regarding the matter.
Terry said “that doors is closed” when he was asked about a potential comeback in January.
Terry’s stance has not changed since, and those close to the defender were miffed by recent reports that the Chelsea captain had made himself available for England’s March friendly against Denmark – the final game the Three Lions play before Hodgson selects his provisional World Cup squad.
Hodgson selected a number of centre-backs for England’s World Cup qualification campaign after Terry decided to call it a day.
Joleon Lescott, Chris Smalling, Steven Caulker and Phil Jones were used in that position before Hodgson appeared to settle on a first-choice pairing of Cahill and Phil Jagielka.
England conceded just four goals in their qualifying campaign after Terry retired.

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Arsenal were denied a return to top spot in the Barclays Premier League after Manchester United battled to a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium.

Chances were at a premium between the two sides, with the best coming in the opening minutes as former Arsenal captain Robin van Persie, now in the United camp, and home striker Olivier Giroud should both have scored.
Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny pushed a bullet header from the Holland forward against the crossbar in the second half of a match which ultimately failed to live up to its billing, leaving Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea still top of the league.
David Moyes’ visitors were almost gifted a lead inside the first minute when Mikel Arteta gave the ball away to Van Persie, but the one-time Arsenal skipper saw his scuffed shot saved.
French forward Giroud headed an Arsenal corner wide from inside the six-yard box in what was an electric start.
However, the tempo of the match then dropped, with only a deflected effort from Tomas Rosicky causing United goalkeeper David De Gea some concern during the lull.
United – looking to make up ground on the top four following their 2-2 draw at home with Fulham – continued to frustrate Arsenal with a determined midfield display, closing down space quickly when not on the ball.
When Arsenal did get into second gear as the hour passed, Antonio Valencia cleared a header off the line from Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny.
Giroud just could not get on the end of a great cross from right-back Bacary Sagna before, at the other end, Szczesny tipped a bullet header from Van Persie against the frame of the goal.
De Gea twice saved from Santi Cazorla during the closing stages as Arsenal pressed for a winner, but each team had to be content with a point.
United made two changes following the disappointment of the Fulham result, as Tom Cleverley and Valencia came in, while midfielder Marouane Fellaini was on the bench following a long lay-off with a groin problem.
Arsenal were looking to return to the top of the table following Chelsea’s draw at West Brom, and boss Arsene Wenger made two changes in the wake of the 5-1 mauling at Liverpool, with Tomas Rosicky and Kieran Gibbs starting.
Wenger’s men had been caught sleeping by Liverpool’s fast start on Saturday, and they were almost behind within the opening minute again, as they were at Anfield, when Arteta gave the ball away on the edge of the penalty area.
However, Van Persie, so prolific in the season before he left the Emirates Stadium, scuffed his shot and Szczesny got down to save.
Arsenal then went on the offensive, with a goal-bound shot from Jack Wilshere blocked before Giroud headed wide from five yards following the resulting corner.
A 20-yard strike from Rosicky spiralled up off the back of United captain Nemanja Vidic, who is set to leave at the end of the season, and almost wrong-footed goalkeeper David De Gea.
Van Persie beat the offside trap after 17 minutes down the left channel, but then made a complete hash of his cross, which flew through the penalty area and out of play on the far side.
The tempo of the match dropped before Giroud cracked a 20-yard effort high and wide following a good spell of Arsenal pressure.
There was a brief stoppage when home left-back Gibbs needed treatment following a heavy fall after making a header in the United box – which left Red Devils manager Moyes fuming after play was correctly called back by referee Mark Clattenburg.
United’s Brazilian full-back Rafael then also had to be treated after coming off worse in a 50/50 challenge with Giroud.
Cazorla crashed a 20-yard shot into the back of Wilshere as the first half fizzled out.
United were forced into a change at the start of the second half as struggling Rafael was replaced by Rio Ferdinand, who made his first Premier League appearance since November.
Having been frustrated by United’s determined midfield display, Arsenal almost snatched the lead after 61 minutes when Valencia’s headed clearance under the crossbar thwarted Koscielny.
Szczesny was then quick off his line to head clear as Van Persie closed in on the Arsenal penalty area.
Both sides made a change as the match entered the final 15 minutes, as United replaced Juan Mata with Adnan Januzaj and Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on for Rosicky.
Arsenal were close again when Sagna’s right-wing cross was just ahead of Giroud as he raced in at the near post.
With 10 minutes left, Van Persie could have won it when he met a floated cross from Rooney at the far post with his powerful header, from which Szczesny produced his heroics.
There was time for De Gea and Cazorla to have their personal battle in the late stages, but neither side had really done enough to earn victory.

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Fiorentina overturned a first-leg deficit in their Coppa Italia semi-final as a 2-0 win over Udinese took them into the final.

Antonio Di Natale and Luis Muriel had given Udinese a 2-1 win in last week’s encounter, but Juan Manuel Vargas’ goal for Fiorentina was to prove crucial.
Manuel Pasqual opened the scoring after 14 minutes of the second leg, firing high inside the near post with his left foot to level the aggregate score.
And the deciding goal came just after the hour mark when Juan Guillermo Cuadrado struck from outside the penalty area.
Udinese became desperate in their pursuit of an equaliser, with first Emmanuel Badu and then Maurizio Domizzi earning red cards during a fraught eight minutes of stoppage time.
The Viola will face Napoli or Roma in May’s final, with the capital club taking a 3-2 advantage into Wednesday’s second leg of their semi-final.

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