Messi cameo helps Barca to victory

Two goals in three first-half minutes from Lionel Messi helped Barcelona defeat a K-League All Star team 5-2 in Seoul.

There were doubts if the Argentinian star would play but he came off the bench after 28 minutes to rapturous applause from a Seoul World Cup Stadium that was far from full.

Without their contingent of Spanish World Cup winners, Barcelona fell behind in the first minute. A mistake from goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto allowed Choi Sung-kuk to roll the ball into an open goal.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised five minutes later only for former Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-gook to re-establish the hosts' lead with a fine header after 35 minutes.

Messi equalised three minutes before the break when he broke free of the Korean defence to slot the ball past keeper Jung Sung-ryeong.

Shortly afterwards, FIFA's World Player of the Year collected the ball on the right side of the area, skipped past a challenge from a Korean defender and curled a shot into the top corner to put the visitors ahead.

Messi did not appear after the break and a slew of substitutions slowed the game in the second period before late goals from Victor Sanchez and Jonathan Soriano sealed Barcelona's win.

Barcelona next take on Beijing Guoan at the Bird's Nest Stadium on Sunday before heading back to Spain.