Alaves resisted Celta Vigo's onslaught in the pouring rain at Balaidos on Thursday to earn a 0-0 draw in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg. The Basque minnows will believe they can get a result at home in the second leg after surviving wave after wave of attacks from Eduardo Berizzo's side. Iago Aspas hit the crossbar with a blistering half-volley for the hosts and Fernando Pacheco made some fine stops as the clock ticked down. The Alaves goalkeeper was saved by his post when Pablo Hernandez's effort beat him in a scramble in the 87th minute, meaning both sides head into Wednesday's second leg on an even footing. The state of the pitch due to the weather conditions meant the game would take a toll on the players who featured. Celta manager Berizzo explained afterwards: "We will evaluate the tiredness of the team, but for us the priority is the game next Wednesday, so we imagine the game on Sunday [against Real Madrid in La Liga] will have rotations, analysis and changes." Celta Vigo have never won the Copa del Rey, despite reaching the final three times, while Alaves have not even made it to that stage before. In the other semi-final Barcelona beat Atletico 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday night and play the second leg at Camp Nou next Tuesday.
