Edgar Mendez's solo effort nine minutes from time sent Alaves into its first ever Copa del Rey final with a 1-0 semifinal second leg win over Celta Vigo enough to progress by the same score on aggregate. The visitors were left to rue a string of missed chances in the first leg as Mendez burst through the Celta defence before firing high past Sergio Alvarez to wild scenes of celebration at Mendizorrotza. Alaves will have to beat Barcelona to lift the Cup for the first time, though, in May's final after the holder reached its fourth straight final with a 3-2 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid Tuesday. However, Alaves can take inspiration from a shock 2-1 win at the Camp Nou back in September in La Liga. It is the first time Alaves, newly promoted to the top flight of Spanish football this season, has reached any final since losing out on the 2001 UEFA Cup 5-4 to Liverpool. Dortmund in quarters Borussia Dortmund beat Hertha Berlin 3-2 on penalties to reach the German Cup quarterfinals Wednesday after the match finished 1-1 after extra time. Dortmund, which was reduced to 10 men late in extra time after Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off for dissent, was better from the penalty spot as three Hertha players failed to score. Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hertha's Vedad Ibisevic both had golden chances in the first half, before Salomon Kalou volleyed Hertha ahead in the 27th minute. Marco Reus drew the hosts level three minutes into the second half after Ousmane Dembele's shot bounced off the post. In a one-sided second half Dortmund should have won it after creating several clear scoring chances. It was reduced to 10 men when Papastathopoulos was booked twice in quick succession, leaving the pitch in the 119th minute. The host, however, kept their cool in the shootout before Kalou fired his penalty high over the bar to send Dortmund into the next round. Third division Sportfreunde Lotte continued its sensational run by beating second tier 1860 Munich 2-0 to advance to the last eight. Schalke 04 eased past second division Sandhausen 4-1 while holder Bayern Munich edged past VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 to book their spot Tuesday. Payet opens Marseille account Dimitri Payet scored his first goal in his first Marseille start following his controversial return from West Ham in Wednesday's 2-0 victory at home to Guingamp in Ligue 1. Bafetimbi Gomis headed his 14th goal of the season to hand Marseille a first-half lead before Payet's deflected 76th-minute free-kick secured the points at the Stade Velodrome. Earlier, Wylan Cyprien's scorching strike kept Nice within three points of leaders Monaco following their 1-0 victory over Saint-Etienne. Nice moved back level on points with second-placed Paris Saint-Germain after just a second win in six league matches. Alexandre Lacazette scored his 19th goal of the season as Lyon produced an encouraging response in the wake of last weekend's damaging Rhone derby defeat to thrash Nancy 4-0. — Agencies
