Messi makes Benidorm pay the penalty

New Delhi: Barcelona edged through to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals after an uninspiring victory secured from the penalty spot in front of a spartan Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.

Lionel Messi scored the only goal of the game six minutes from time to put an end to the hopes of their visitors from the third tier of Spanish football, who had battled valiantly all night to earn a draw.

The Blaugrana led by a single goal from the first leg two weeks and were expected to chalk up a few goals after their recent routs in the league and Europe.

Pep Guardiola was not even prepared to rest many of his first choice players and named Lionel messi, Carles Puyol and Dani Alves in the starting team.

While the rest of the team could command a rgular place in the side too, Barca looked far from the team that charged to the top of the Primera table and into the next phase in the Champions League.

Instead, Benidorm were able to soak up the pressure and while they did ride their luck on numerous occasions, would have made headlines for stopping their hosts from scoring.

But it was not to be as the Catalan outfit were handed the chance to take the lead when Bojan Krkic was fouled in the area.

Messi was not in forgiving mood and he stepped forward to slot Barca into the lead and Benidorm were never likely to score an equaliser having so few chances in the game up until then.

It was Ruano that gave away the spot-kick and it was he that had the visitors clearest chance in the opening half when he tested José Manuel Pinto in the hosts' goal.

Flavio also had two chances to cause an upset, but it was Caballero who was the busier of the two keepers as he was forced to make several stops to deny Barca.

Messi had been frustrated on several occasions by the keeper and even the arrival of Samuel Eto'o as a substitute did not change matters.

Barca will not be complaining however as they are into the next phase of a competition that Guardiola has said he wants the club to win for the first time since 1998.

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