Barcelona: Lionel Messi marked his 400th game for Barcelona with a master class of passing by setting up four goals to give Cristian Tello a hat-trick in a 4-1 win at Levante in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal.
Denied by the hosts in the first half yesterday, Messi withdrew into midfield to turn playmaker and place four precise passes behind the defense that led to an own goal in the 53rd minute and Tello's treble in the 60th, 81st and 86th.
Levante had held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at Ciutat de Valencia Stadium just four days earlier in the Spanish league, and it was on course toward a similar feat after Nabil El Zhar netted in the 31st.
But Messi again showed that he is much more than Barcelona's all-time scorer with 331 goals since his debut in 2004 by exploiting Tello's speed down the left flank with well-timed assists.
"It's spectacular to have a player like Messi on your side," said Tello.
"All four goals came from his boots."
Elsewhere, Real Sociedad defender Mikel Gonzalez scored twice to help earn a 3-1 victory at home over third-division Racing Santander in their opening leg.
Levante found Barcelona's weak spot in defending set pieces when Carles Puyol's clearance of a free kick fell for El Zhar to score at the second attempt after goalkeeper Jose Pinto had blocked his powerful first shot.
Barcelona was more inspired after the break and Messi's first pass to Tello led to the equalizer. Goalie Javier Jimenez got down to block Tello's shot, but Loukas Vyntra struck the loose ball off teammate Juanfran Garcia and into the net.
Messi again floated back to the center of the pitch to draw the defense with him before threading another pass to meet Tello's run, and this time the forward fired the ball beyond Jimenez to give Barcelona the lead.
The Argentina star fended off a tackle and slid a diagonal ball for Tello to score his second before Messi picked him out with a pass over the top for his third goal.
"Our first half worried me, but we have players that don't need 45 minutes to turn the match around," Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said.
"(Messi) can change this and any other game. He can undo any type of defense. The tiredness of our rivals played its part and the spaces opened up as they wore down. Leo took great advantage of them."
Puyol had to be replaced by Javier Mascherano in the 57th due to an apparent leg injury. The 35-year-old Puyol has been plagued by a series of injuries for the past two seasons. Martino, however, said that Puyol's injury was "only a leg knock."
Sociedad forward Gonzalo "Chory" Castro crossed twice for Gonzalez to score his goals, the first coming in the third minute followed by another in the 34th, just two minutes after Racing's Andreu Guerao had hit the crossbar.
Carlos Vela curled in Sociedad's third in the 62nd, but Mahamadou Kone gave Racing hope for next week's return leg by scoring in the 83rd.
Defending champion Atletico Madrid plays Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. Real Madrid won 1-0 at Espanyol on Tuesday.
Sunderland stun United in League Cup semi
Manchester: Manchester United's desperate season met with fresh degradation as they sensationally lost on penalties to Sunderland in the League Cup semi-finals at Old Trafford.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, United levelled the tie through Jonny Evans's 37th-minute header yesterday, only for Phil Bardsley to net a dramatic equaliser late in extra time with a low shot that squirmed past David de Gea.
Improbably, United promptly went straight up to the other end and equalised through Javier Hernandez, for a 3-3 aggregate scoreline that sent the tie to penalties, but it was to prove a false dawn.
An appalling shoot-out saw only three of the 10 penalty-takers score, but United full-back Rafael da Silva proved the fall guy, with Vito Mannone saving his spot-kick to give Sunderland a 2-1 win.
Having already seen his side beaten by Swansea City in the FA Cup and relegated to 14 points below leaders Arsenal in the league this month, it was another night of misery for United's beleaguered manager David Moyes.
"We did not play well enough," Moyes said.
"We had the chances to put it to bed, but didn't. Sunderland played well and they deserve credit, but overall we looked like we would get there until the last minute.
"I was disappointed, but we did not play well enough in the end. That's football. We'll get on with it, pick ourselves up, and go again."
Sunderland, second from bottom in the Premier League, can now look forward to a clash with Manchester City in the final on March 2, in what will be their first major final since 1992
"The feelings are for the fans," said manager Gus Poyet.
"It's been a difficult season, nothing to enjoy, but they deserve this. The lads were immense. In the cups you never know what will happen. I will enjoy being underdogs (at Wembley)."
United's fans arrived at Old Trafford to reports that their side have made a club-record bid for Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata, and the continued absence of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie due to injury underlined the need for reinforcements.
There was an early chance for Hernandez, whose downward header from Adnan Januzaj's free-kick was parried by visiting goalkeeper Mannone, but the hosts initially struggled to make inroads.
Nine thousand Sunderland fans travelled from the northeast and the hordes of away supporters almost had a memorable goal to cheer when Fabio Borini chested down a raking pass from Adam Johnson and drilled a half-volley inches over the bar from 25 yards.
Moyes reacted by bringing Shinji Kagawa into the centre and moments later the Japan midfielder created the chance that led to the opening goal.
His cross was volleyed against the post by Darren Fletcher, with Mannone blocking Hernandez's follow-up, and from the ensuing corner Januzaj's cross was flicked goalwards by Danny Welbeck and headed in by Evans.
As Sunderland grew bolder in the second half, Moyes introduced Antonio Valencia in place of Kagawa and the Ecuadorian quickly created a chance for Januzaj, only for the teenager to slice wide.
It was Sunderland who continued to force the issue, though. Only a flying block from Alexander Buttner thwarted Johnson, while Marcos Alonso almost found the net with an audacious volley that zipped just past the post.
Chris Smalling, meanwhile, was fortunate to avoid punishment when he dragged Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher down after misjudging a bouncing ball.
United sustained a blow early in extra time when Michael Carrick had to go off after twisting his ankle, and they wasted a chance to increase their lead when Hernandez shot wide after Januzaj put him clean through.
The game appeared up for Moyes's men when goalkeeper De Gea somehow allowed a low daisy-cutter from former United player Bardsley to squirm through his grasp and into the net in the 119th minute.
United were stunned, and although Januzaj then crossed for Hernandez to slam home an even more dramatic goal, the night would belong to Sunderland.
