Barça have beaten Getafe 5-2 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi final, first leg at the Camp Nou and have put themselves in the driving seat of this tie.

Goals by Xavi, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Samuel Eto'o and two amaizing goals by Lionel Messi did the damage as even a mini Getafe fightback couldn't stop Barça from all but knocking out La Liga's most miserly defence.

Barça had the greatest of starts as Xavi's turn and shot after receiving the ball from Messi on 19 minutes saw them go 1-0 up.

From there on in, it was Messi who stole the show as on the 29th minute, he produced the goal of the season. The Argentine star picked up the ball in his own half, beat 4 defenders, rounded Getafe keeper Luis Garcia and fired in Barça's second goal of the night. It was a fantastic goal, reminiscent of Diego Maradona's famous goal against England (not the Hand of God) in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

Messi then got his second and Barça's third on the stroke of half time, Deco played in a wonderful cross to Messi, who took a touch and dummied a to trick Alexis into a slide and fired into the roof of the net.

Bernd Schuster's side then threatened to undo all of Messi's brilliant work in the second half as two goals from Daniel Güiza and Nacho in as many minutes (58 and 60) put the visitors within touching distance of Barça and set themselves up nicely for the return leg in Madrid, but Barça had other ideas.

Just 3 minutes after Nacho's goal on 60 minutes, Eidur Gudjohnsen popped up with a goal to put the Blaugrana 4-2 up. A corner from the right was flicked on my Rafa Márquez and Icelander Gudjohnsen was on hand to volley home from 12 yards out.

On 74 minutes, Samuel Eto'o put the final nail in Getafe's coffin as the Cameroonian front man span away from Alexis and fired past Luis Garcia in goal to make it 5-2 to Barcelona.

This result now puts Barça in a very good position to book their place in the Copa del Rey final. The second leg in Madrid is on the 9th of April.