Villa shines in Barcelona's Copa win over Cordoba

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – David Villa made his case for returning to Barcelona’s starting lineup by scoring twice in a 5-0 win over Cordoba on Thursday that sealed a place in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

The Spain striker has struggled to find minutes since returning from a broken leg. But he again proved he hasn’t lost his scoring touch with two fine goals to follow Thiago Alcantara’s opener at Camp Nou stadium.

Barcelona eased by its second-division opponent 7-0 on aggregate after Alexis Sanchez added two goals in the second half.

Villa’s quest to regain his prominent role in Barcelona’s attack may have suffered another blow, however, when he retired late after apparently pulling a muscle in his right thigh.