Valencia and Barca draw

Messi saw his spot-kick saved in the second half as Barcelona - the most successful club in Copa del Rey history, having won the tournament 25 times - had to settle for a draw after Carles Puyol’s header had cancelled out Jonas’s opener.

But Barca were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men in the first half when Jose Pinto’s handball outside the box wasn’t seen by the match officials.

The first talking point came on six minutes when Messi won a free kick just outside the box. The Argentine stepped up to take it but sent his effort just wide of Diego Alves’s right-hand post. Ten minutes later, Messi shimmied his way through but his shot hit the back leg of the sliding Jeremy Mathieu and looped up into the grateful arms of Alves.

The visitors were given a real let off two minutes later. Roberto Soldado raced onto a through ball, but Pinto came racing out of his goal to slide in and clear the danger, appearing to use his hand as he did so, only for play to be waved on.

A minute later, a lovely ball from Cesc Fabregas put Alexis Sanchez in, but he got his shot all wrong and toe-poked it harmlessly wide. It was an awful miss.

At the other end, Soldado met an Ever Banega corner but volleyed just over the bar, before Messi dragged a shot wide for Barca.

The deadlock was broken on 27 minutes. Valencia got down the left-hand side and Mathieu’s cross was met by Jonas, who fired home from 10 yards for his eighth goal of the season.

Barca looked odds on to draw level on 36 minutes, but Alves made a sensational save to deny Alexis. However, from the resulting corner, Barca drew level when the unmarked Puyol nodded home at the far post. The curly-haired defender had lost his marker, Víctor Ruiz, to find the space to score.

Alexis had the ball in the net early in the second half but his effort was ruled out for offside, before Barcelona were handed the perfect opportunity to take the lead when Miguel clumsily brought down Thiago in the box.

Messi stepped up to take the penalty but Alves guessed right and leapt to his left to palm the spot-kick away.

Gerard Pique then headed a good chance over the bar, before substitute Dani Alves saw an effort come back off the post after playing a lovely one-two with Messi.

And that proved to be the last chance of an enthralling game as the two sides had to settle for a draw. The second leg takes place at Camp Nou on February 8.