MADRID, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Argentine striker Javier Saviola steered Barcelona into the quarter-finals of the King's Cup when he hit a hat-trick in his side's 3-2 win over second division Alaves at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.

The victory earned the Spanish champions a 5-2 aggregate

victory but an otherwise sloppy performance will have done

little to allay fears that the Catalans have gone off the boil

after winning just one of their last five league matches.

Saviola, who also scored both goals in the 2-0 win in last

week's first leg, strengthened his case for a regular place in

the starting line-up with another fine individual performance.

His first came when he bundled the ball in from close range

on 16 minutes after Alaves keeper Nicolas Ardouin palmed the

ball into his path following a Ronaldinho free kick.

The pocket-sized Argentine made it 2-0 four minutes later

when he ballooned a header over the French keeper after

midfielder Thiago Motta had dinked a neat pass into the area.

But the Catalans relaxed too soon and Alaves were back on

level terms in the game by halftime.

Brazilian forward Wellington Paulista chipped the ball over

Albert Jorquera after a neat one-two on the edge of the area and

fellow countryman Arthuro left the Barca keeper standing when he

curled a superbly struck free kick around the wall from 25

metres out.

Wellington had a great chance to put Alaves ahead on the

night when he broke free and rounded Jorquera early in the

second half, but defender Carles Puyol managed to scramble the

Brazilian's shot off the line.

Saviola ended any hopes of a comeback when he completed his

hat-trick soon after, volleying home from 15 metres out after

Xavi had beaten the offside trap with a chipped pass over the

Alaves back four.

The majority of the remaining ties will be played on

Wednesday. Real Madrid host struggling Real Betis at the

Bernabeu on Thursday after the two sides fought out a 0-0 draw

in last week's first leg.