Barcelona took a big step towards the Copa del Rey final with a first-leg victory over Villarreal at the Nou Camp last night.

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Lionel Messi netted for the third consecutive game before the visitors grabbed an away goal from Manu Trigueros, only for the hosts to establish a deserved margin of victory through Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique.

Barca quickly established domination of possession with Messi inevitably at the heart of all their attacking pressure and winning a trio of early corners.

The Argentine also had the game’s first effort on goal after Iniesta won possession and Luis Suarez found Messi, who jinked inside before trying his luck with a snapshot which was half-blocked to give visiting keeper Sergio Asenjo an easy save.

Messi then squandered the first clear chance, receiving a cutback from Iniesta in space on the edge of the box but firing wastefully over the bar with his usually trusty left foot.

Villarreal had defended well but one mistake was all Barca needed, as Suarez pounced on a poor pass from Tomas Pina and raced into the box before unselfishly squaring to Messi who thumped decisively home.

The same duo nearly combined for another two minutes later as Messi threaded a pass for Suarez to unleash a fierce drive which fizzed wide across the face of goal, before Iniesta did a similar thing from the other side of the box.

Then Messi shot into the side-netting after Suarez was challenged inside the box, before Villarreal ended the half with their first serious attack as Denis Cheryshev broke and crossed for Luciano Vietto to steer goalwards, producing an excellent low save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Villarreal levelled at the start of the second half when substitute Trigueros – on for inspirational captain Bruno who was stretchered off on 33 minutes – picked up a loose ball in midfield and drove into space before unleashing a 25-yard thunderbolt which wobbled in the night sky and escaped the grasp of ter Stegen, who will have been disappointed not to save

But within seconds, Barca were back ahead when Iniesta found Suarez who went down under a challenge and, amid hopeful penalty appeals, Iniesta ran onto the loose ball to sweep home with his left foot.

The same pattern as the first half then resumed as Barca dictated the flow of the action while Villarreal – generally without much success – attempted to spring forward on the counter-attack.

Iniesta and Suarez had ambitious efforts deflected wide and the visiting defence was forced into a series of last-ditch challenges and clearances as the hosts attempted to extend their advantage.

And they did just that when Messi unusually took a right-wing corner and Pique lost his marker to power home a far post header – his fourth goal in two months to again illustrate Barca’s new-found potency from set-pieces.

Neymar then wasted a chance to make it 4-1 from the penalty spot, seeing his effort saved by Asenjo’s dive to his right after a contentiously awarded spot-kick for handball against Mateo Musacchio.

Substitute Ivan Rakitic tested Asenjo at his near post with a fierce long-range strike, but Villarreal were still occasionally dangerous on the break and the hosts needed a great block from Jeremy Mathieu to resist a goalbound effort from Moi Gomez and take their two-goal advantage into the second leg.