BARCELONA, Spain – Lionel Messi scored two goals and set up two more to lead Barcelona to a 4-1 win over crosstown rivals Espanyol yesterday in a hot-tempered Copa del Rey clash.

Felipe Caicedo grabbed Espanyol a ninth-minute lead at Camp Nou, but Messi hit back four minutes later.

The star forward put the hosts ahead with an unstoppable free-kick just before halftime, and assisted Gerard Pique soon after the interval.

Messi then set up Neymar for the fourth goal after Espanyol’s Hernan Perez and Papakouly Diop were sent off, and Caicedo and Marco Asensio were lost to injury.

Espanyol, who held Barcelona to a goalless draw in the Spanish league on Saturday, have the return leg next week at their stadium.

In other Spanish Cup action, Athletic Bilbao, last year’s finalists to Barcelona, scored three times in the second half to erase a two-goal deficit and beat Villarreal 3-2, while Mat Ryan’s Valencia, Sevilla and Deportivo La Coruna notched positive results.

Espanyol found their opener when Caicedo used an excellent first touch before slotting in a ball he received from Asensio, who started a counterattack by intercepting Dani Alves’ pass.

But Messi quickly responded when he caught Espanyol’s defence off balance after Andres Iniesta played him forward to beat goalkeeper Pau Lopez.

Caicedo went down holding his left thigh near halftime, but the visitors’ defence held firm until Messi sent his free-kick streaking in off the underside of the crossbar.

Espanyol’s hopes took another blow when Asensio was substituted at halftime with an apparent injury.

It was all Barcelona the rest of the way, as Messi set up Pique to tap in his goal after Iniesta’s incisive pass started the move.

Tempers flared as the game dragged on, with Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez receiving yellow cards, along with eight for Espanyol.

Perez’s second booking was followed by Diop seeing red for something he apparently said to Suarez in the 75th minute.