Last updated on .From the section European Football

Lionel Messi has scored 34 goals for Barcelona this season

Barcelona recorded their 10th victory in a row by beating Villarreal in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg.

The hosts dominated the first half but did not lead until the 41st minute when Luis Suarez set up Lionel Messi to sweep home from 16 yards out.

Manu Trigueros levelled soon after the break but Andres Iniesta restored Barca's lead.

Gerard Pique added a header but Neymar had a penalty saved that would have put Luis Enrique's side three goals clear.

The second leg is on Wednesday, 4 March, with Barcelona's city rivals Espanyol and Athletic Bilbao the other teams still in the competition.

Neymar had a penalty saved when he could have made it 4-1 in the two-legged tie

Barcelona looked in crisis in early January when they were defeated by David Moyes's Real Sociedad. Several directors also quit the club, presidential elections were called and a transfer embargo was enforced.

There were also rumours of a row between Messi and boss Enrique. However, Barca have won every game since then.

Villarreal came into the game in good form too - their only defeat in the last 20 matches coming against Barca in the league earlier this month.

But Barca were dominant from the start with Suarez missing several half-chances before setting up Messi to score his 34th goal of the season.

Moments later, Messi played Suarez in but the Uruguayan dragged his shot wide.

Villarreal almost levelled with their first shot, in first-half injury time, as Luciano Vietto found the bottom left corner from Denis Cheryshev's cross but Marc-Andre Ter Stegen got down well to touch it around the post.

They equalised in the 48th minute when Ter Stegen let Trigueros's shot from outside the box through his hands.

But the scores were level for only seconds as Iniesta fired home from inside the box after an attempted pass to Suarez bounced back to the midfielder.

Pique put Barcelona in control when he headed home a corner from close range but Neymar squandered a chance when his spot-kick was saved by Sergio Asenjo.

Andres Iniesta scored after an attempted pass to Luis Suarez was intercepted

Villarreal's two defeats in their last 21 games have both been to Barcelona