Spanish Copa del Rey - 2nd Leg
BarcelonaBarcelona3Ath BilbaoAthletic Bilbao1

Barcelona 3-1 Athletic Bilbao (4-3 agg)

Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez's strike was the 300th scored by Barcelona's fearsome "MSN" forward line

Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez scored his 100th goal in his 120th game for Barcelona as the Spanish giants reached the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with victory over Athletic Bilbao.

Suarez volleyed home from Neymar's cross at the Nou Camp to put Barcelona 1-0 up on the night and ahead in the tie on away goals with the scores level at 2-2.

The Uruguayan is the third-fastest player to reach a century of goals for Barcelona, with only Mariano Martin (99 games) and Hungarian striker Laszlo Kubala (103) having taken fewer appearances to reach the landmark.

It took Lionel Messi 188 games to reach 100 goals for Barca.

Neymar put Barcelona 3-2 ahead on aggregate after the break when he coolly drilled in a low penalty after he was fouled.

But moments later Athletic striker Saborit's towering header levelled the tie on away goals.

A nervousness engulfed the Nou Camp with the tie heading towards extra-time - until Messi curled in a shot off the post from 20 yards.

The Argentina forward's strike - his third free-kick in three games in 2017 - put the Catalans into the quarter-finals for the seventh successive season.

Barcelona have not lost a La Liga game since the start of October but after a series of disappointing draws are five points behind arch rivals Real Madrid in the race for the Spanish title.

That means the Copa del Rey may prove to be their best hope of domestic silverware this season.

Boss Luis Enrique knows what it takes to win this competition having led the Catalans to success in each of the past two seasons - taking them to a third triumph in a row would be a feat not achieved since 1953.

Defeat means Athletic, who are seventh in La Liga, have lost to Barca in the Copa del Rey for the past three seasons.

Ronald Koeman
Everton boss and former Barcelona player Ronald Koeman congratulated Lionel Messi on equalling his record of scoring 26 goals from free-kicks for the club

Line-ups

Barcelona

Formation 4-3-3

  • 13Cillessen
  • 20Roberto
  • 3Piqué
  • 23UmtitiBooked at 30mins
  • 18Alba
  • 12RafinhaSubstituted forRakiticat 80'minutes
  • 5Busquets
  • 8IniestaSubstituted forTuranat 89'minutes
  • 10Messi
  • 9Suárez
  • 11NeymarSubstituted forD Suárezat 87'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1ter Stegen
  • 4Rakitic
  • 6D Suárez
  • 7Turan
  • 14Mascherano
  • 17Alcácer
  • 19Digne

Ath Bilbao

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Iraizoz
  • 2Bóveda
  • 16Etxeita GorritxategiBooked at 28minsSubstituted forElustondo Urkolaat 30'minutesBooked at 73mins
  • 4LaporteBooked at 41mins
  • 24Balenziaga Oruesagasti
  • 5Eraso Goñi
  • 6San José
  • 7EtxebarriaBooked at 77mins
  • 25Saborit TeixidorSubstituted forSusaetaat 79'minutes
  • 11WilliamsBooked at 90mins
  • 19MerinoSubstituted forAdurizat 45'minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Elustondo Urkola
  • 10Muniain Goñi
  • 12Vesga
  • 14Susaeta
  • 17Rico
  • 20Aduriz
  • 32Simón Mendibil
Referee:
Jesús Gil Manzano
Attendance:
71,455

Match Stats

Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamAth Bilbao
Possession
Home66%
Away34%
Shots
Home14
Away4
Shots on Target
Home5
Away1
Corners
Home5
Away1
Fouls
Home9
Away18

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Wednesday 11th January 2017

Elsewhere on the BBC