Luis Suarez scored four and Lionel Messi three as Barcelona thrashed Gary Neville’s Valencia 7-0 to all but book their place in the Copa del Rey final.
Neville’s five-game unbeaten run in the competition came to a shuddering halt as Suarez scored twice in the opening 12 minutes of the semi-final first leg, before Messi added a third just before the half-hour mark.Things got worse for the visitors just before the break when Shkodran Mustafi was shown a red card for hauling down the Argentina international in the penalty area, but Neymar’s spot-kick rebounded off the post.
In the 59th minute Messi hit his 500th career goal with a low shot past Matt Ryan before completing his hat-trick 15 minutes later.Suarez had a hat-trick of his own seven minutes from time before rounding off the rout with his 35th goal this season to make it a miserable night for Neville and his side.
It took just seven minutes for Luis Enrique’s side to make their mark on a ninth Copa del Rey semi-final in 10 years as Neymar stole the ball from Andre Gomes before playing in Suarez to score his 32nd goal of the season.
Suarez did not have to wait long for his 33rd as just five minutes later he rounded off a move which saw Sergio Busquets curl an inch-perfect ball into the path of Aleix Vidal, whose first-time pass was blasted past Ryan by the Uruguayan.
Messi completed his third Copa del Rey hat-trick in the 74th minute, capitalising on some poor defending to beat Ryan at his near post.
Barca continued to run riot and they made it 6-0 as Suarez, not to be outdone by his strike partner, completed his own treble with a header from tight angle at the far post with seven minutes remaining.The former Liverpool striker increased his side’s lead with his 35th goal of the season to make next week’s second leg at the Mestalla a virtual formality as Luis Enrique’s men closed in on a second successive Copa del Rey final.
Source : skysports.com
