SEVILLA FC QUALIFY FOR THEIR NINTH CUP SEMI FINAL THIS CENTURY, NOT CONCEDING A GOAL IN THE RUN

Sevilla FC had the perfect evening last night at the Estadio de Los Juegos Mediterráneos, with Ocampos' header booking the team's ticket to the semi finals of this year's Copa del Rey. The team will find out their opponent in Friday's draw, with the semi finals being player over two legs, a change from the format up until now with ties contested over just one match. Last night's qualification was coupled with some notable statistics for the Blanquirrojos as they qualified for their ninth semi finals in this century.

Sevilla also contested the semis in 03/04, 06/07, 08/09, 09/10, 10/11, 12/13, 15/16 and 17/18. On two of these occasions, the team ended up lifting the trophy, while on another two they fell in the final. With these nine qualifications in seventeen years, the Nervionenses equal how many semi finals they contested in the previous 65 years. Only FC Barcelona, with thirteen ahead of tonight's match, have played more Cup semi finals this century than Sevilla.

Only four teams since 1973 have got to the semi finals without conceding a goal. Sevilla also managed the feat in 2016

The plaudits do not stop there for Sevilla. With the 1-0 win, Julen Lopetegui's team maintained an incredible run of not having conceded a single goal in this Cup campaign, spanning five rounds and wins over CD Ciudad de Lucena, Linares Deportivo, CD Leganés, Valencia CF and UD Almería. This is not the first time Sevilla have managed such a feat; they achieved the same in 2016 when they reached the semis without conceding a goal - that time over six rounds. Only four teams have done the same since 1973: Málaga CF (1973), Real Madrid (2006), Athletic Club (2012), and Real Madrid (2014).

Last but certainly not least, last night's win in Almería brings the number of one-legged ties Lopetegui's team have won to an incredible twelve from fourteen. The team have the highest win rate in the Copa del Rey, coming out on top in 88.9% of their ties. The win was also the team's twelfth win in the last fifteen matches and the sixth in a row, something the team had not achieved since 14/15 when they went on a seven-match winning streak between 7 March and 7 April 2015.