BARCELONA — Barcelona beat Valencia 1-0 on Thursday thanks to a diving header from insatiable striker Luis Suarez to stay on course for a place in the King's Cup final for a record fifth consecutive year. Suarez broke Valencia's resolve in the semifinal first leg by leaping to meet a cross from Lionel Messi in the 67th minute, scoring a 12th goal in 10 games in all competitions to leave Valencia needing to win by two goals in next Thursday's second leg at Mestalla to advance to their first final in a decade. Despite being a Cup semifinal against one of the top teams in the league, only 50,000 fans made it to Barca's 99,000-capacity Nou Camp stadium after heavy rain throughout the day. Barca defender Sergi Roberto risked getting sent off but was only booked for a wild lunge on Andreas Pereira, who was unable to come out in the second half and had to be substituted. We dominated the play but they had a plan, which was to leave here with a result that kept the tie open and they defended well. It's not a big advantage and there's still a long way to go in the tie, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters. Valencia were trounced 7-0 on their last Cup visit to Barcelona when Gary Neville was in charge and coach Marcelino opted for a cautious approach, with his side having under 20 percent possession at one point in the game. The visitors' best chances came from distance strikes at goal, with Martin Montoya and Francis Coquelin narrowly missing the target either side of halftime. It's not a good result for us but we deserve credit for how we competed, Marcelino said. It makes the tie very difficult but keeps it alive. We're going to fight with all our strength to win the tie. It might seem impossible but we'll try and pull off a miracle. Barca resume Espanyol rivalry after cup tussle La Liga leaders Barcelona face what could be a fiery encounter against aggrieved neighbors Espanyol this weekend, while second-placed Atletico Madrid face a tricky game against Valencia. Sunday's Catalonia derby is the third meeting in a little more than two weeks between Barca and their less glamorous opponents after a bitter two-legged King's Cup quarterfinal that escalated the ill feeling between the two Barcelona clubs. Espanyol beat their local rivals for the first time in nine years in first leg, but Barcelona advanced to the semifinals by winning the return leg 2-0, with post-match comments from Barca duo Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique rubbing salt in the wounds. Busquets criticized Espanyol for what he said were overzealous celebrations after the first leg, while Pique mocked Espanyol's city credentials by calling them Espanyol de Cornella, referring to its home municipality. The barbs prompted an official complaint from Espanyol, accusing the players of inciting violence. The first leg at Espanyol's RCDE stadium had been played in a prickly atmosphere and Barca goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was hit in the face by an object thrown by home supporters. La Liga officials have described this Sunday's derby as a high-risk event, requiring increased policing, but Espanyol goalkeeper Diego Lopez called on his side's supporters to ensure there is a good-natured atmosphere and to resist any urges to abuse their opponents. The fans should go to the derby to support the team and not focus on any opposition player, he told reporters. On Sunday we want Cornella to be a cauldron of noise in our favor without any insults or lack of respect. That's the best way for them to support us, to show that they are exemplary supporters and then we can focus on our jobs. We behaved like gentlemen in the two cup games and will continue to do so. Barca hold an 11-point lead at the top of the standings, followed by an Atletico side that this Sunday host their main rivals as Spain's third force behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. Sunday's opponents Valencia emerged as unlikely title contenders earlier in the season but are six points behind Atletico after losing five of their past eight games. Atletico will be lifted by the return of Diego Costa after two weeks out through injury. They should also be better rested than Valencia, who visit the Spanish capital less than 72 hours after their King's Cup semifinal first leg away to Barcelona. — Reuters