Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi stands on the field after missing a penalty kick during the Spanish 'Copa del Rey' (King's cup) quarter-final first leg football match between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat. Pic/AFP

Espanyol handed FC Barcelona a rare loss in the first leg of their Copa del Rey football quarter-final, getting a goal from Oscar Melendo in the 89th minute to pull off the 1-0 upset here. The city rivals of the Catalan giants scarcely looked to attack during the first half although the game at RCDE Stadium on Wednesday remained scoreless due to Barça's lack of offensive precision, reports Efe.