BARCELONA — Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were all on target as holder Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Wednesday to overturn a deficit from the first leg and advance to the quarterfinals of the King’s Cup.
A Luis Suarez volley put Barca ahead in the 35th minute while Brazil international Neymar earned and converted a penalty three minutes into the second half to score his first goal since October and put Barca in front in the tie after losing the first leg 2-1.
Athletic responded immediately though, substitute defender Gorka Elustondo crossing for Barcelona-born Enric Saborit to head home in the 51st minute. The goal emboldened the visitors for a 10-minute spell but Barca withstood the pressure.
Messi had squandered two free kicks in the first half but avoided the possibility of extra time and penalties by curling a dead ball in off the post in the 79th, his second set piece goal in four days.
Barca joins Alaves, Alcorcon, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in the quarterfinal draw.
Saints lead Reds in semis
Southampton edged one step closer to the League Cup final as Nathan Redmond’s cool finish secured a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the semifinal first leg Wednesday.
Claude Puel’s side went in front through Redmond’s first half strike at St Mary’s and only a strong display from Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius prevented Southampton from winning by more.
With United having won the first leg against Hull 2-0, Liverpool would love to face its old rivals at Wembley, especially after losing to Manchester City on penalties in last season’s final.
But Jurgen Klopp’s team, without a win in their last three games, will need to improve significantly to overturn the deficit at Anfield in the second leg on Jan. 25.
Taylor dies, aged 72
Graham Taylor, the former England football manager, has died at the age of 72, according to media reports Thursday.
Taylor, who had a playing career with Grimsby Town and Lincoln City, was a successful manager in English football’s top flight with Watford and Aston Villa.
He was best known, though, for his turbulent reign as England manager between 1990 and 1993 when he was widely criticized for failing to take the national team to the 1994 World Cup Finals.
Silva nods PSG into last 4
Captain Thiago Silva showed the wasteful Edinson Cavani how to do it with two crashing headers as holder Paris Saint-Germain surged into the semifinals of the French League Cup with a 2-0 win over Metz Wednesday.
Also into the last four are Nancy, Monaco and Bordeaux, who won their quarterfinal 3-2 at home to Guingamp earlier in the evening.
Juve in Italian Cup quarters
A late penalty from Miralem Pjanic saw holders Juventus scrape through to an Italian Cup quarterfinal clash with either AC Milan or Torino after a nervous 3-2 win over high-flying Atalanta.
Juventus was clinical in an impressive first-half that saw Paulo Dybala beat Etrit Berisha with a superb first-time strike in the 22nd minute then send Mario Mandzukic on his way to double Juve’s lead 12 minutes later.
Abdoulay Konko pulled one back on 72 minutes.
Although Pjanic fired his spot kick past Berisha and into the roof of the net three minutes later following a foul on Stephan Lichsteiner, it was far from over.
Emmanuel Latte Lath, an 18-year-old from Ivory Coast, got past Lichtsteiner to reach a low cross that sneaked past Rafael in the 81st minute.
Earlier, Federico Bernardeschi netted an injury-time penalty to fire Fiorentina into the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Chievo. — Agencies
