Messi scores, but Barcelona still held by 10-man Malaga

Holder Barcelona's hopes of retaining the Spanish Cup hang in the balance after being held 2-2 at home by 10-man Malaga in its Spanish Cup quartefinal first-leg clash on Wednesday.

Barcelona - which holds an 11-point lead in the league race over Atletico Madrid with 18 wins from 19 matches - looked to be in the driver's seat after coming from a goal down to lead 2-1 after 30 minutes thanks to two goals in as many minutes by Lionel Messi and veteran defender Carles Puyol.

Malaga's chances of coming away with anything better than a one-goal deficit looked to be over when Nacho Monreal was red carded 15 minutes from time for a trip on Pedro.

However, just as Malaga has shown in its maiden Champions League campaign that it is made of stern stuff, so it did in Barcelona as Ignacio Camacho tucked the ball away neatly with a minute remaining after both Puyol and centerback partner Javier Mascherano failed to get high enough to clear a free-kick.

Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said the tie was "very balanced" after the first leg and praised Malaga for its fighting performance.

"We could have scored the odd goal more in the first half," the former Barca and Spain goalkeeper said. "What we have to do now is go there with the goal of winning."

Real is the likely opponent in the last four after Jose Mourinho's side beat Valencia 2-0 at the Bernabeu in the first leg on Tuesday.

(China Daily 01/18/2013 page24)