BARCELONA — Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored stunning goals to edge Barcelona toward a fourth consecutive King’s Cup final with a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid Wednesday, although the holder was lucky to survive a late onslaught from the host.
Suarez opened the scoring with a breath-taking individual goal in the seventh minute, carving Atletico open with a thrusting run from the halfway line and producing a crisp low finish before Messi smashed in off the post from outside the area in the 33rd.
Atletico vastly improved in the second half and after Antoine Griezmann’s header reduced the deficit in the 59th minute it laid siege to the Barca area, but the equalizer remained elusive.
The return leg at the Nou Camp takes place next Tuesday although neither Barca forward Neymar nor Atletico captain Gabi will be able to play through suspension after picking up bookings.
Man City dazzles
Manchester City turned on the style to dismantle West Ham United 4-0 and revive its fading Premier League title aspirations as Manchester United’s hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow with a goalless home draw against struggling Hull City Wednesday.
City produced a scintillating first-half display, scoring three times before the break through Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and new boy Gabriel Jesus, before Yaya Toure’s penalty capped a one-sided romp at the London Stadium.
Clinical finishing was in short supply at Old Trafford, however, where United came up against an inspired performance from Hull keeper Eldin Jakupovic, who made a string of superb saves to keep Jose Mourinho’s side at bay.
While City’s victory moved them level on 46 points with fourth-placed Liverpool and kept leader Chelsea just about in their sights, United’s slip-up left it sixth, four points adrift of City and 14 off the summit.
Hull’s unlikely point moved it off the foot of the table while Stoke City and Everton drew 1-1.
PSG cruises into last 16
There was plenty of excitement in the French Cup Wednesday, with holder Paris Saint-Germain romping into the last 16 after a 4-0 win at Rennes and league leader Monaco needing extra time to see off non-league Chambly in a nine-goal thriller.
Germany winger Julian Draxler scored two excellent goals on an easy night for PSG and Monaco, which played extra time with 10 men, held on to win 5-4 against a side playing two divisions below.
In all first-division matches, Corsican side Bastia beat Nancy 2-0 and Angers won 3-1 against Caen.
Guingamp was also taken to extra time by third-tier Les Herbiers before winning 2-1, but first division Saint-Etienne lost 3-0 away to Auxerre, which is next-to-last in the second division.
Roma-Lazio semis
A last-gasp penalty from Francesco Totti fired Roma into an Italian Cup semifinal with city rival Lazio after a shaky 2-1 win over Cesena Wednesday.
In the other semifinal holders Juventus, which eliminated last year’s finalists AC Milan, meets title challengers Napoli. — Agencies
