F.C. Barcelona had to once again rely on their superstar Lionel Messi to pull them out of the woods with his free-kick wonders as they at last dismissed Athletic Bilbao 3-1 to get a 4-3 aggregate triumph in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

Coming back from a 2-1 loss in Bilbao last week, Barca had to wait for their breakthrough before it arrived in a landmark fashion ten minutes from half-time.

Luis Suarez volleyed his 100th goal for the club on the end of a move that fittingly featured Messi and Neymar – it was the 300th goal for MSN since the awesome forward trio began playing together in 2014.

Neymar won and converted a penalty early in the second period, but Athletic hit back through wideman Enric Saborit, a Barcelona-born product of the Espanyol youth system.

But Barcelona, looking for a win at their third attempt in 2017, were not discouraged and a familiar hero stepped forward.

Having arrowed a set-piece into the top left corner to snatch a 1-1 draw at Villarreal on Sunday, Messi deftly whipped an effort from similar range across the Bilbao wall and in off the right-hand post to stylishly book a quarter-final spot.

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