Suarez hits a century of goals for club
Barcelona: Lionel Messi’s third goal from a free-kick in as many games this year secured Barcelona’s place in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey as the holders beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 to edge through 4-3 on aggregate. Bilbao had won their home first leg encounter 2-1.
Luis Suarez’s 100th Barca goal and Neymar’s penalty cancelled out first leg lead, but Enric Saborit’s header six minutes into the second half had the tie headed for extra time.
However, just as in the first leg, Sunday and in a 1-1 draw at Villarreal, the Argentine came to Barca’s rescue with another exquisite free-kick that clipped the inside of the post on its way past Gorka Iraizoz in the Bilbao goal.
The build-up to the game had been dominated by talk of controversial refereeing calls in the first leg. And there was more controversy on 26 minutes when Neymar was wrongly flagged offside as he set up Suarez for a tap in.
However, the same combination wasn’t to be denied 10 minutes before half time when Neymar’s cross was hammered into the far corner by Suarez to bring up his Barca century.
The second goal came three minutes into the second half when Neymar was chopped down by Eneko Boveda. Messi handed Neymar responsibility from the spot and the Brazilian ended a 1,023-minute drought for Barca as he sent Iraizoz the wrong way to register his first goal since October 19.
Barca’s joy was short-lived, though, as with their first serious attack Bilbao got the away goal they needed when Saborit’s downward header at the back post beat both Jasper Cillessen and Samuel Umtiti on the line.
However, Messi proved the match winner 11 minutes from time as he outfoxed Iraizoz. A week after beating the Bilbao ‘keeper to his right, Messi pulled his free-kick in off Iraizoz’s left-hand post for his 26th goal in 23 games this season.
An incredible individual run by Neymar nearly sealed the tie as he hit the outside of the post moments later, but Barca held on to maintain their record of not being eliminated by anyone other than Real Madrid since 2008.
It was another instance of MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) coming to the club’s rescue.
Reuters