However, it was far from a perfect evening for the Catalans as Neymar had to be carried from the field after suffering a nasty looking right ankle sprain midway through the first-half.
With Barcelona already leading 4-0 from the first-leg, thanks in part to two goals from Messi on his first appearance as a substitute after two months out, Barca boss Gerardo Martino made nine changes to the side that started Saturday’s La Liga 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid.
Neymar was also making his first start of the year after recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis. However, his return lasted only 23 minutes as he had to be helped off the field by two members of the Barca medical staff as he turned his ankle in attempting to cross the ball from the left side of the area.
The visitors shrugged off the loss of the Brazilian, though, as Cristian Tello’s driven cross was turned in at the near post by Messi two minutes before half-time. And the best was still to come from the diminutive Argentine as he danced past three Getafe challenges before rounding goalkeeper Jordi Codina and finishing from a tight angle for his fourth goal of the tie just after the hour mark.
Martino then took the opportunity to hand Xavi Hernandez his 700th appearance for the club as he replaced Cesc Fabregas with 20 minutes remaining.
Messi should have rounded off his evening with a hat-trick on 85 minutes as he was played in with just Codina to beat.
Neymar out for up to four weeks with ankle injury
MADRID: Barcelona’s Brazil forward Neymar will be sidelined for three to four weeks after a scan confirmed he had damaged tendons in his right ankle, the La Liga leaders said on Friday. Neymar had to be replaced midway through the first half of Thursday’s 2-0 King’s Cup last 16, second-leg win at Getafe, and he was on crutches when he returned to the Catalan capital from Madrid on Friday morning. The injury was the latest setback for the 21-year-old ‘Tests conducted this morning confirmed that the player Neymar Jr. has a sprained right ankle,’ Barca said in a statement on website.
With Barcelona already leading 4-0 from the first-leg, thanks in part to two goals from Messi on his first appearance as a substitute after two months out, Barca boss Gerardo Martino made nine changes to the side that started Saturday’s La Liga 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid.
Neymar was also making his first start of the year after recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis. However, his return lasted only 23 minutes as he had to be helped off the field by two members of the Barca medical staff as he turned his ankle in attempting to cross the ball from the left side of the area.
The visitors shrugged off the loss of the Brazilian, though, as Cristian Tello’s driven cross was turned in at the near post by Messi two minutes before half-time. And the best was still to come from the diminutive Argentine as he danced past three Getafe challenges before rounding goalkeeper Jordi Codina and finishing from a tight angle for his fourth goal of the tie just after the hour mark.
Martino then took the opportunity to hand Xavi Hernandez his 700th appearance for the club as he replaced Cesc Fabregas with 20 minutes remaining.
Messi should have rounded off his evening with a hat-trick on 85 minutes as he was played in with just Codina to beat.
Neymar out for up to four weeks with ankle injury
MADRID: Barcelona’s Brazil forward Neymar will be sidelined for three to four weeks after a scan confirmed he had damaged tendons in his right ankle, the La Liga leaders said on Friday. Neymar had to be replaced midway through the first half of Thursday’s 2-0 King’s Cup last 16, second-leg win at Getafe, and he was on crutches when he returned to the Catalan capital from Madrid on Friday morning. The injury was the latest setback for the 21-year-old ‘Tests conducted this morning confirmed that the player Neymar Jr. has a sprained right ankle,’ Barca said in a statement on website.