Messi returns to help Barca survive scare

Lionel Messi marked his return from suspension with a goal in a 2-1 Copa del Rey victory on Wednesday as Barcelona survived a scare against Rayo Vallecano to reach the quarterfinals.

With Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid already out, another upset looked possible when Fran Garcia gave Rayo a surprise lead early in the second half.

But Messi tapped in Antoine Griezmann's pass to equalize before sending Jordi Alba through to feed Frenkie de Jong at the back post for the winner.

Barca boss Ronald Koeman singled out de Jong for praise, saying:"He's a more complete player now. As well as building from behind, his ability to arrive in the box at the right moments is helping us to create and above all score goals.

"We are still in the cup and we are recovering our level in the league. We have to keep going."