Match Report: Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal Copa del Rey Semifinal

FC Barcelona have one foot in the Spanish Cup final after beating Villarreal FC 3-1 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night. The second leg of the semi-final should be a formality and they continue to show the sort of form that will have Real Madrid nervously looking over their shoulder in the league where the difference is just one point.

Barca’s front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have now scored more goals in 2015 than the entire Madrid team. Messi got one here and Neymar should have added to his tally but missed from the spot.

Suarez did not score but was involved in two of the three goals as Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique also scored to record their 10th consecutive victory in all competitions.

Villarreal looked like they had come to not lose too heavily and give themselves a chance in the second leg. They defended deeply and Barcelona struggled to break them down for most of the first half.

Suarez was found by Dani Alves at the back post but failed to get any direction on the finish. He then just failed to connect with a Messi cross as Barça continued to take the game to the visitors. There was even a rare sliced effort from Messi as Barcelona looked for the first goal.

When it came it did come from Messi but it was Suarez who took the plaudits. He chased down Mateo Mussachio robbing the Argentine before scurrying into the penalty area with Messi now in support.

The old Liverpool Suarez would have gone for goal but he dutifully played the Argentine in and with crisp finish he put Barcelona 1-0 ahead. The crowd responded by singing the assist provider’s name and not Messi’s.

Messi almost returned the favour immediately but Suarez just pulled his cross-shot wide of Sergio Asenjo’s goal.

Villarreal had offered little going forward but still could have gone in level but for the brilliance of Marc Andre Ter Stegen. The German got down sharply to his right to stop Luciano Vietto’s shot from Denis Cheryshev’s cross.

If he ended the half brightly Ter Stegen started the second period by picking the ball out of the back of his net after substitute Manu Trigueros had hit a spectacular shot from distance that left the keeper with no chance.

Barcelona’s response was immediate. Suarez was again involved in the build-up playing a one-two inside the penalty area with Iniesta. The midfielder tried a second wall pass. This time the ball came back off of full-back Mario into the path of Iniesta once more and he made it 2-1.

article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2949668/Barcelona-3-1-Villarreal-Lionel-Messi-Andres-Iniesta-Gerard-Pique-strike-Copa-del-Rey-semi-final-leg.html