Villarreal 1-3 Barcelona (agg 2-6): Neymar & Suarez seal Copa del Rey final berth

The Brazilian bagged twice at El Madrigal, while
his Uruguayan accomplice struck his fourth goal
in three games, but the triumph was marred by
an injury to Sergio Busquets
Barcelona eased into the Copa del Rey final as an
underwhelming showing was enough to beat 10-
man Villarreal 3-1 on Wednesday and ensure
progression 6-2 on aggregate.
While the hosts had the better of the play
following Neymar's opener, Tomas Pina's
dismissal for a dismal second-half challenge on
the Brazilian ended slim hopes of Villarreal
progression.
Neymar's clever lob, following a delightful Lionel
Messi pass, quickly cancelled out Villarreal's
away goal from the first leg, although Jonathan
Dos Santos' 39th-minute strike against his former
club ensured the sides went in at the break level
on the night.
Pina - who had earlier ended Sergio Busquets'
outing with a studs-up challenge - was at it again
shortly after the interval as he threw himself into
a dangerous challenge with Neymar to rightly
earn his marching orders.
Second-half goals from Luis Suarez and Neymar
added gloss to the result, as the Catalan giants
qualified for a second successive Copa final.
However, Barca's less-than fluent showing before
Pina's dismissal and the extent of Busquets'
injury will keep Luis Enrique concerned with
crucial clashes against Manchester City and Real
Madrid coming up this month.
Though they may have been expecting an early
Villarreal onslaught, the visitors got off to an
ideal start when their fearsome front three
combined to open the scoring after just three
minutes.
Suarez found space down the left and found
Messi, whose expert cross released Neymar into
space to loft the ball over Sergio Asenjo.
Denis Cheryshev missed the target from close
range as Marcelino's side awoke, with Luciano
Vietto heading at Marc-Andre ter Stegen and
Ikechuwku Uche's strike only finding the side-
netting.
Despite being on the back foot, another inch-
perfect Messi ball almost led to Barca's second -
Andres Iniesta unable to convert - before Dos
Santos equalised.
Against his former employers, the midfielder stole
in to convert Jaume Costa's deep delivery, with
Barca's half ending on a sour note as Busquets
left on a stretcher after being caught late by Pina
in the build-up.
The hosts started the brighter after the break,
before Messi tested Asenjo from distance, with
Neymar the next man on the receiving end of a
Pina horror tackle.
Pina lunged at the Brazilian in a scissor motion
off the ground and was swiftly shown a straight
red card, although unlike Busquets, Neymar was
able to continue.
Suarez made the numerical advantage count
when he restored Barca's lead - rounding Asenjo
and tapping home - before Neymar 's header
completed a relatively routine encounter for Luis
Enrique's side.

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