Lionel Messi scored twice to hand Barcelona a 2-0 first-leg lead over Cordoba in the fifth round of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
It was the home side that started the match the better, but Messi handed Barcelona the lead with 10 minutes on the clock.
The second period followed a similar pattern, but Messi struck once more - his 32nd of the season - to secure a 2-0 lead in the first leg.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Cordoba:
Shots: 7
On target: 4
Possession: 41%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 12
Barcelona:
Shots: 13
On target: 6
Possession: 59%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair
Looking at the match as a whole, it would not have been a travesty if Cordoba picked up a draw this evening. They didn't have a host of clear chances, but they were well worthy of at least a goal. Barcelona were nowhere near their best, but just about deserved to pick up the victory due to the chances they created.
Cordoba's performance
7/10. The biggest compliment you could pay the home side is that they made the match look like a La Liga fixture. They started the evening on full throttle, but faded in the latter stages of the opening half. They found a second wind late on, however, and despite the loss, they gave Barcelona a much tougher test than they were expecting.
Barcelona's performance
6/10. It wasn't the best of performances from Barcelona, but you always felt that they were capable of moving up through the gears. They took the lead in the opening period with their first real attack on goal, before dominating possession for large periods. They had chances to add to their two goals late on, but poor finishing cost them.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: Another two goals for the Argentine this evening made it 88 goals for the calendar year and 32 for the season. At this rate he could make the goal record untouchable.
Biggest gaffe of the match
David Villa had a fine chance to put Barcelona 2-0 ahead in the early stages of the second period, but he fired his shot horribly over the crossbar from inside the box. The Spaniard has yet to find his form since returning from a long-term injury.
Referee performance
Del Cerro Grande was extremely lenient in the opening half of football and failed to award Barcelona a single yellow despite a host of clumsy challenges. That continued into the second period, but he did allow the play to flow on a difficult pitch.
What next?
Cordoba: Cordoba return to domestic action away to Huesca on Saturday evening before travelling to Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.
Barcelona: The Catalan outfit face second-placed Atletico Madrid in the league on Sunday before welcoming Cordoba for the second leg at the Nou Camp next Tuesday.
Matt Law
