A wondergoal from Lionel Messi and a Neymar strike have given Barcelona a 2-0 lead over Athletic Bilbao at the halfway stage of the Copa del Rey final and put them on course for a league and cup double.
There were half chances for both sides in the opening stages as the match began in lively fashion, with a disallowed Barca goal among the early talking points.
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Neymar was on hand to volley a Messi cross into the net with 10 minutes on the clock, but Bilbao were saved by the linesman's flag.
It was goalkeeper Iago Herrerin who came to their rescue moments later when Ivan Rakitic slid a pass through to Luis Suarez, with the Bilbao stopper making himself big to deny the Uruguayan from close range.
Messi broke the deadlock for Barca in the 20th minute with a strike that was remarkable even by his own lofty standards. The Argentine beat five Bilbao players before rifling an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner.
Neymar was a constant thorn in Bilbao's side, and he doubled the La Liga champions' lead in the 36th minute, bundling the ball over the line from close range following good link-up play between Rakitic and Suarez.
Bilbao posed little threat to the Barca goal in the first period, but did hit the crossbar moments before half time as Andoni Iraola picked out Inaki Williams and the midfielder let fly.
Barca could have been out of sight on the stroke of half time, but Herrerin produced an acrobatic save to keep out Messi's curling effort, ensuring that his side have at least slender hope going into the second period.
Mark Langshaw
