European roundup: Lionel Messi the first player in Spanish football to win 500 matches
CGTN

Lionel Messi set yet another landmark on Thursday night as he became the first player in the history of Spanish football to reach 500 wins as Barcelona routed Leganes 5-0 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Messi's double, as well as goals from Antoine Griezmann, Clement Lenglet and Arthur Melo rounded off an emphatic win at Camp Nou, where Barca successfully bounced back from Saturday's surprise La Liga loss away at Valencia.

As Messi enters the 500 club, the Argentine maestro now sits at the head of the ranking of wins, ahead of second placed Xavi Hernandez (476) and Andres Iniesta (459), according to statistics on Barcelona official website. It has taken 710 games in total for Messi to reach that mark.

"We did a lot of things well but I am not completely happy because we also lost control of the game in the latter stages of the first half," said Quique Setien, who replaced Ernesto Valverde as Barca coach earlier this month.

His appointment will be judged on performances in the league and Champions League this season but Barca have a rich recent history in the Copa del Rey, which they have won in four of the last five years.

They will be in Friday's draw for the last eight but Sevilla will not after they fell to a shock 3-1 defeat away at Segunda side Mirandes. Real Madrid, Valencia, Real Sociedad, Granada, Villarreal, and Athletic Bilbao complete the list.

Messi has now recorded 500 victories as a Barcelona player thanks to the 5-0 victory against Leganes at the Copa del Rey, January 30, 2020. /Barcelona official Twitter account

Messi has now recorded 500 victories as a Barcelona player thanks to the 5-0 victory against Leganes at the Copa del Rey, January 30, 2020. /Barcelona official Twitter account

Elsewhere in the winter transfer market, Villarreal have completed the signing of Paco Alcacer from Borussia Dortmund, with the Spanish club reportedly breaking their transfer record to land the Spanish striker after a bid of 23 million euros (25.3 million U.S. dollars) was accepted by the German club.

Roma captain Alessandro Florenzi has joined Valencia on loan until the end of the season. Florenzi, who has 35 caps for Italy, came through the youth setup at Roma, playing in both defense and midfield for his boyhood club. He was part of the team that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2018.

In the Bundesliga, Hertha Berlin won the race to sign Krzysztof Piatek from AC Milan for a reported fee of 27 million euros (29.7 million U.S. dollars). Piatek only moved to Milan this time last year and scored 16 goals in 41 games for the Rossoneri but the recent arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made him surplus to requirement.

Manchester United defender Marcus Rojo has returned to Argentine club Estudiantes La Plata on loan. The 29-year-old Rojo began his professional career at Estudiantes in 2008. He joined United from Portuguese side Sporting in 2014 but has not been a regular starter in recent seasons.

Newcastle United have signed England left-back Danny Rose on loan from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season. Rose, 29, is Newcastle's third recruit of the January transfer window following the recent arrivals at St James' Park of Nabil Bentaleb and Valentino Lazaro.

Meanwhile, Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who completed his move from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United on Thursday, claimed he was inspired to switch to Old Trafford by compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.

"My love of Manchester United really started when I used to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play and ever since then I have been a big fan of this great club," Fernandes explained of his Portuguese teammate who played for United from 2003-2009. "For me, to now play for Manchester United feels incredible."

"I have worked hard to get to this moment and I can promise the fans that I will give everything for the badge to help bring us more success and trophies," he added.

(With input from agencies)