Barca suffers loss of the cup, but late goal increases hopes for second leg

The recent iron grip of Barcelona on the Copa del Rey was under threat when they lost 2-1 in their last 16 leg tie in Levante on Thursday after a host of first-team regulars including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Barca, who won the last four editions of the Spanish Cup, fell behind in the fourth minute when the free kick slack mark saw Erick Cabaco head home, while Real Madrid loaned Borja Mayoral doubled the lead of Levante in the 18th. 

Substitute Jose Luis Morales spurned a glorious opportunity to achieve a third home goal that would have seriously damaged Barca's expectations of staying in the competition.

But the Catalans received an enormous boost heading into the second leg of the Nou Camp next Thursday when Denis Suarez was fouled into the penalty area and Philippe Coutinho converted the resulting spot-kick in the 85th minute. 

During their two previous visits to Levante, Barca had mixed fortunes, losing 5-4 in their only La Liga defeat last season, but avenging that they lost this term with a thumping 5-0 win in December, which included a Messi hat trick. 

Although regulars such as Ousmane Dembele, Arturo Vidal Sergio Busquets, and Brazilian Coutinho all started the game, Argentina was left out of the team together with the usual strike partner Suarez and Ivan Rakitic, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba. 

In the first half after Levante 's bright start, Barca's out of favor Brazilian forward Malcom missed two clear chances, while French winger Ousmane Dembele dazzled the home defense in the second half, but fell over just as he shaped to shoot. Denis Suarez from Barcelona was one of three players thrown on by Ernesto Valverde, and the midfielder, linked to a move away from the club this month, won the penalty that Coutinho netted to increase the chances of turning the tie next week. " We started the game looking asleep and they took advantage of it to put us with both goals against the ropes, " Barca midfielder Busquets said. 

" Although we still had chances to score, we were better overall in the second half and at least we deserved to score. Now the tie is wide open. " Valverde said his team selection didn't mean that Barca wasn't willing to win the Cup for a fifth straight season and indicated that he would call Messi and Suarez back.

 " We're going to see what we're doing next week but we're taking the Cup seriously. It is played on two legs, which players do not play, but we want to win the tie and stay in the competition."