Stunning Lionel Messi hat-trick sees Barcelona equal unbeaten Liga record
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Updated 07/04/2018 at 21:21 GMT
La Liga, Camp Nou - Barcelona 3 (Messi, 27', 32', 87') Leganes 1 (El Zhar 68')
Lionel Messi
Image credit: Getty Images
Barcelona matched Real Sociedad’s long-standing record of 38 La Liga games unbeaten as Lionel Messi netted a hat-trick in a comfortable 3-1 win over Leganes.
The win gave the Catalans a 12-point lead at the top of the table ahead of tomorrow’s Madrid derby, with Barca now just a few points away from being crowned champions. This record-equalling win was just another mark of the exceptional season they have enjoyed.
Ernesto Valverde picked a strong side for the fixture despite facing a Champions League quarter-final second leg against Roma next week, with only Jordi Alba, Andres Iniesta and Samuel Umtiti rested. Otherwise, this was Barca at their best.
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Lionel Messi
Image credit: Getty Images
The Catalans dominated from the start and opened the scoring after 26 minutes when Messi whipped a trademark freekick into the back of the net from around 20 yards. He added a second just minutes later, getting on the end of a through ball before finishing brilliantly with a low strike on the swivel.
Nabil El Zhar halved the deficit in the second half, finding the bottom corner of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s net with a low drive on the counter attack, but Messi’s third goal saw out the win for Barcelona as the hosts matched Real Sociedad’s unbeaten record in La Liga, a record that has stood since 1980.
Barcelona will overtake that mark with a win over Valencia on Saturday. They are seven games short of becoming the first team to complete a 38-game Liga season unbeaten.
TALKING POINT - Coutinho is really making mark
Messi was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch, but Philippe Coutinho also impressed throughout for Barcelona.
The Brazilian came into the team having watched the midweek win over Roma from the stands, due to being cup-tied, and underlined how he is now settling into his new surroundings.
Coutinho has found his feet at Barcelona. Just when you thought they couldn’t get any better..
MAN OF THE MATCH - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Last week against Sevilla, provided an illustration of Messi’s importance to this Barcelona team, coming off the bench to salvage a point of his team. And this was yet another display of the Argentinean’s brilliance, with Barcelona once again dependent on their number 10.
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Leo Messi, FC Barcelona
Image credit: Getty Images
That isn’t meant to expose Barca’s weakness without Messi.
Instead, it should be used to highlight the quality of one of the best players to have ever played the game. His free-kick for the opening goal of the night was stunning.
PLAYER RATINGS
- Barcelona:Ter Stegen 5, Semedo 6, Pique 5, Vermaelen 5, Roberto 5, Rakitic 6, Gomes 6, Dembele 7, Coutinho 8, Suarez 7, Messi 9...subs - Alba 6, Iniesta 5, Denis 3.
- Leganes: Cuellar 7, Zaldua 6, Bustinza 5, Siovas 5, Garcia 6, Eraso 5, Perez 5, Gabriel 6, Omar 5, Ramos 7, Amrabat 6, El Zhar 7...subs - Beauvue 8, Brasanac 5, Guerrero 4.
KEY MOMENTS
- 19’ HOW DID HE MISS? That should have been the opening goal for Barcelona. Messi put it on a plate for Suarez a matter of yards out, but Cuellar made the close range stop. Incredible.
- 26’ GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Leganes: He's done it again! It's yet another magical Messi freekick. From about 20 yards out, he whipped the strike over the wall and into the back of the Leganes net. Cuellar stood no chance in getting to that.
- 32’ GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Leganes: It's a second goal for Barcelona and a second goal for Messi! It's another exceptional goal from the Argentinean. Messi is threaded through, gets the ball out from under his feet and finds the finish.
- 58’ PIQUE OVER! That should have been a third goal for Barcelona. Both Pique and Suarez were clean through from the cross, but the latter somehow looped a finish over from six yards out.
- 68’ GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Leganes: Well, we might have a game on our hands here. Leganes come flying forward on the counter attack, with the ball falling to El Zhar just inside the box. His strike finds the bottom corner of the net.
- 87’ GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Leganes: It's a hat trick for Messi! That secures the three points for Barcelona. Dembele plays the ball into Messi, who takes it on his chest and flicks the finish past Cuellar in the Leganes goal. That should be that.
KEY STATS
- For the first time since the 2012/13 season, Lionel Messi has scored in eight consecutive games for Barcelona.
- Messi also became the first player to score six freekicks in a single La Liga season since Ronaldinho in 2006/07.
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