Valencia coach Ruben Baraja says they'll take their Copa del Rey tie seriously.

Los Che meet Cartagena on Sunday.

Baraja said: "The thinking that I have as a coach -and what the club thinks- is that we are giving importance to the Copa del Rey. We want to try to go as far as possible and it is the fastest way to compete for a trophy. The next step is Cartagena. It will be a tough match. The Copa del Rey is special. I expect a difficult, hard-fought match."

"In the end, the way the season goes gives you information about the performance of the players. When they have the opportunity, they get the possibility of becoming more important to the team. I have to choose a side each week, but when the players have had the opportunity to demonstrate who is doing well, they have managed to get up to speed with the dynamic.

"This is good because it raises the level of the group and gives us more possibilities. Sometimes matches are decided by the players who come off the bench and can change the game. It is important to have options."