LIONEL MESSI struck five minutes from time to hand Barcelona a vital 1-0 lead heading into the second leg of their Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) quarterfinal with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

    Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak blocked Messi initial spot kick, but he couldn’t recover in time to stop Messi from rushing forward to slam home the rebound and ignite the Camp Nou. Messi was set up to get the winner after Juanfran Torres fouled Sergio Busquets in the area.

    “I still see the tie as 50-50, and we will go into the second leg aiming for a win,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said.

    Just two weeks ago he was under intense pressure following a loss and the firing of Barcelona’s sports director, but the coach has since been bolstered by a second victory over Atletico in 10 days following its 3-1 win here in the league.

    Atletico went undefeated in six meetings with Barcelona last season en route to winning the league and reaching the Champions League final.

    The return leg at the Vicente Calderon will be next Wednesday, with the winner of this series advancing to meet either Villarreal or Getafe.

    (SD-Agencies)