Messi scored Barca's second goal in a 2-1 win, crashing the ball home off the inside of the post from outside the area in the 33rd minute.

A super save from Miguel Angel Moya prevented him adding a second via a free kick, before he beat three men only for Neymar to miss from close range.

Luis Suarez had opened the scoring at the Vicente Calderon with a stunning solo effort, but a second-half header from Antoine Griezmann kept the tie alive heading into the return leg at Camp Nou next week.

"Messi is at his best in the big games, the special games," Luis Enrique said in his postgame news conference.

"He showed his repertory today. He helped us get superiority in the middle and was also dangerous up front. There are few terms of praise left for what Messi does."

Atletico were much improved after break and may have snatched an equaliser at the end, with Kevin Gameiro and Fernando Torres both missing chances.

Luis Enrique admitted that things "could have gone worse" after watching his side hang on in the final minutes, but pointed out he wouldn't expect anything else against Diego Simeone's side.

"To come here and not suffer [would be] ridiculous," the Barca coach added. "It's same at Camp Nou -- rivals suffer there.

"If we were more effective we could have [killed off] the tie. They then took advantage of our mistakes, pressed us well, caused us problems and created chances.

"But in the end the result strengthens the team, considering how difficult it is to play here. So we are happy with the result. It could have been better; it could have been worse."

Barca will be without Neymar for the return leg next week after he was booked for a challenge on Juanfran.

However, with 13-goal Arda Turan likely to fill in, Luis Enrique backed the depth of his squad to be able to cover the Brazilian.

"If there is any team in the world who can cover absences it is Barca," he said. "[Neymar] is a key player for us, but we have players who can cover in his position."