Barcelona took a big step towards the final of the Copa del Rey after winning their first leg with Villarreal 3-1 at Camp Nou this evening.

Goals from Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique were enough for the home side despite an equaliser from Manu Trigueros.

Messi saw a shot from the edge of the box curl over the bar in the first half, before Jeremy Mathieu had a goal correctly ruled out for offside just after the half-hour mark.

Barca finally broke down the stubborn Villarreal five minutes before the break when Luis Suarez profited from a mistake from Mateo Musacchio before feeding Messi around 12 yards out.

The Argentina international made no mistake as he tucked away his 34th goal of the campaign.

The visitors restored parity with an away goal two minutes into the second half when Trigueros hammered in a long-range effort that should have perhaps been held by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

However, Barca regained their advantage less than two minutes later when Iniesta combined with Suarez before poking home inside the area.

Pique then gave the home side the breathing space they craved when he headed in his fifth goal of the season from a corner after the hour mark.

Neymar spurned a chance to arguably put the tie beyond Villarreal on 71 minutes when his penalty was saved by Sergio Asenjo.

Mathieu then saved Barca with a block to deny Luciano Vietto's effort inside the box shortly after he had headed over from a corner.

Giovanni dos Santos sent a harmless header goalwards as the Yellow Submarine pressed for an important second away goal, and Suarez nearly capped off the night with an audacious effort from inside the centre circle in stoppage time.