Lionel Messi lifts first trophy as Barca captain with Copa del Rey masterclass

Barcelona secured their 31st Copa del Rey triumph with a second-half scoring blitz to win 4-0 against Athletic Bilbao in Seville.

Ronald Koeman's side dominated the first half with 84 per cent possession but could not make the breakthrough until the 60th minute.

Antoine Griezmann stroked home Frenkie De Jong's low cross to put Barca ahead before the Netherlands international got on the score sheet three minutes later.

Lionel Messi got in on the act when he started and finished a brilliant team move in the 68th minute and doubled his tally with Barcelona's fourth in 12 second-half minutes.

Griezmann had a fifth goal chalked off for offside late on as Koeman lifted his first trophy as Barca boss.

It was a huge victory for Barcelona and, for their captain, is also the first piece of silverware he's lifted since being given the armband following the departure of Andres Iniesta.

And while Messi was happy, he did lament the absence of supporters.

"None of our families could be here and there were no fans so it was strange to celebrate the goals without them," he told club media.

"It's a shame that both sets of fans could not be here to enjoy it. I hope our supporters enjoyed it at home."

On winning the trophy, he said: "It was extra special to lift a trophy as captain of a club I have been at since I was a kid.

"They made it hard for us defending deep and attacking us on the break but I think their physical level dropped a bit in the second half."