Watch: Lionel Messi inspires Barcelona to rally past Rayo Vallecano in Copa del Rey

Lionel Messi returned from suspension to assist Barcelona keep away from an upset within the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, scoring a aim and establishing one other in a 2-1 come-from-behind win over second-division membership Rayo Vallecano within the spherical of 16.

Messi, coming off a two-game suspension for hitting an opponent throughout the Spanish Tremendous Cup remaining, scored an equalizer within the 69th minute and led the buildup to Frenkie de Jong’s Eightieth-minute winner that put Barcelona into the final eight of the Copa for an eleventh straight season.

De Jong additionally helped arrange Messi’s aim with an ideal via ball to Antoine Griezmann, who crossed for the Argentine playmaker to attain his 18th aim in 11 matches towards Rayo.

Fran García had put the hosts forward on a breakaway within the 63rd.

Barcelona wanted additional time to advance previous third-division membership Cornellá within the spherical of 32. It additionally performed additional time in each Spanish Tremendous Cup matches this yr — a win towards Actual Sociedad within the semifinals and a loss to Athletic Bilbao within the remaining.

Messi was despatched off in that remaining towards Athletic on Jan. 17. He missed the sport towards Cornellà and towards Elche within the Spanish league. Barcelona received each matches 2-0.

“It’s been a really robust month, with a number of away matches, however the staff confirmed a very good mentality and deserved these victories,” Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman stated. “We now have enhancing in a number of areas not too long ago.”

It was the primary time Messi performed in a Copa match this season. He had been rested in earlier video games.

The final time Barcelona failed to achieve the final eight within the Copa was within the 2009-10 season, when it was eradicated by Sevilla within the spherical of 16.

With a staff mixing common starters and reserves, Barcelona was in management from the beginning on the Vallecas Stadium in Madrid. The Catalan membership was denied by the woodwork thrice, twice within the first half with De Jong and Riqui Puig, and as soon as within the second with a free kick taken by Messi.

De Jong had a aim disallowed by offside within the sixty fifth.

Rayo was coming off a loss to Mallorca however beforehand had received six in a row in all competitions. It sits fourth within the second-division standings, in good place to earn promotion.

Barcelona trails Spanish league chief Atlético Madrid by 10 factors and is three factors behind second-place Actual Madrid coming into the second half of the season.

Barcelona’s American defender Sergiño Dest didn’t play on Wednesday due to a thigh downside.

Actual Madrid and Atlético Madrid had been eradicated earlier than the final 16.

SEVILLA CRUISES

Luuk de Jong scored two first-half targets as Sevilla cruised to a 3-0 win over Valencia, reaching the quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons.

Ivan Rakitic additionally scored within the first half for Sevilla, which additionally made it to the final eight in 2019. The five-time Copa champion will likely be making an attempt to achieve the semifinals for the primary time since 2013.

Valencia received its eighth Copa title in 2019 and reached the quarterfinals final season, earlier than shedding to Granada.

De Jong scored within the twentieth and thirty third minutes on the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, and Rakitic added the third within the thirty eighth with a neat lob over Valencia goalkeeper Jaume Doménech from inside the world.

Each Sevilla participant touched the ball within the buildup of the second aim by De Jong.

The dangerous information for Sevilla was that captain Jesús Navas had to get replaced due to an obvious muscle harm within the sixty fifth.

Sevilla sits fourth within the Spanish league standings.

Valencia, not removed from the relegation zone within the league, performed with out a few of its common starters.