Two goals by Neymar guided Barcelona to a 2-1 victory

Neymar converted a penalty after Mario Gaspar had handled the ball, only for the visitors to equalise through Mateo Musacchio's fierce header three minutes after the break. Barcelona were finding Villarreal's defence tough to break down but they eventually found their way through in the 68th minute when Neymar fired home a simple goal.

Barcelona almost went ahead in the sixth minute when Alex Song's close-range volley hit the post, with no home player following up.Neymar confidently strode up and rolled the ball to the right of the goalkeeper to put Barcelona ahead. The hosts almost doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Alexis Sanchez controlled a Martin Montoya shot from the edge of the area, turned and shot only for Sergio Asenjo to spread himself and tip the ball round the post.

Barcelona went close to regaining the lead when Cesc Fabregas ran on to a defence-splitting pass, only for Asenjo to block his shot with his feet. They did, though, go back in front midway through the half through Neymar.

Barcelona vs. Malaga

Barcelona will rue the countless missed chances as Malaga left the Camp Nou with a 2-2 draw thanks to a 90th minute equalizer from Nacho Camacho. The teams will meet again next week with Los Boquerones holding two away goals in the pocket and Barcelona facing a challenge to keep their cup run alive.

Alexis Sanchez nearly put Barcelona ahead in the 5th minute, chipping the ball over the charging Carlos Kameni. Luckily for Malaga, Sergio Sanchez was in the right place and picked the ball up in the air and away from danger.

Alexis was at it again a minute later completely bottled a shot 6-yards from a nearly empty net after a bit of individual brilliance from Messi to find Cristian Tello, somehow sneaking the ball around Jesus Gamez. Tello crossed to the wide open Alexis, but his shot skied over the crossbar after he appeared to get his foot stuck in the grass a bit before he contacted the ball.

Despite the domination from Barcelona it was Malaga who opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Thiago received a short outlet pass from José Manuel Pinto and was immediately pick pocketed by Manuel Iturra who wasted no time racing forward and putting his shot past Pinto who was still well off his line after the initial pass.

Lionel Messi equalized for Barca in the 29th minute, racing down the right side before putting a bit too much on the ball and sending it right to Robson Weligton. Messi was at full speed though and jumped right on to Weligton, taking the ball away and moving in to the box before curling a shot past Kamini to make it 1-1.

A minute later, captain Carles Puyol put Barcelona in the lead somehow heading home a Tello corner as he was moving away from the goal. Puyol's header went back across the face of goal and tucked itself in the side netting making it 2-1 for the home side. Alexis whiffed on yet another point blank chance in the 38th minute. Tello whipped in another perfectly placed cross to Alexis at the fair post and the Chilean, who had a significant portion of the net to aim at, sent the ball sailing in the wrong direction.

In the 75th minute Cesc Fábregas found Pedro behind the Malaga defense with a precise long ball and Nacho Monreal had no choice but to bring Pedro down, denying a goal scoring opportunity. The referee wasted no time showing Monreal a red card and forcing Malaga to play with 10-men for the final 15 minutes.

With just stoppage time looming, Malaga stunned the Camp Cou crowd with an equalizer that puts Barcelona in serious trouble heading in to the second leg at La Rosadela. Duda whipped a ball the far post where Ignacio Camacho put the ball past Pinto in the far corner with a perfectly executed volley.