Messi becomes a record breaker on a fine night for Barca.
They may have watched fierce rivals Real Madrid eviscerate minnows Eibar earlier in the evening, but Barcelona sent out a message of their own to La Liga this evening after dominating a good Sevilla side at the Nou Camp and earning a fantastic 5-1 victory.
It may have been a good night for the whole of Barcelona, but the headlines were entirely dominated by one man, as club icon Lionel Messi scored the two goals that he needed to break the all-time La Liga goalscoring record – and went one better to bag himself a hat-trick with a stunning goal.
Luis Enrique’s side dominated proceedings from the off and took the lead inside 20 minutes – and it was that man Messi who made the breakthrough, whipping a glorious free kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot:
Despite creating plenty more chances in the first period, however, Barca were unable to extend their lead before the half-time break and actually surrendered their lead just after the kick-off, when left back Jordi Alba conceded an unfortunate own goal.
This only proved to serve as a stick to awaken the beast with for Sevilla, however, as Enrique’s charges retook the lead within moments, Neymar glancing in a whipped free kick from Xavi to bring the Nou Camp to its feet once again. The celebrations were nothing compared to when Messi found himself through on goal and calmly slid the ball past the Sevilla ‘keeper and into the far corner, however, as Messi became the all-time leading scorer in La Liga history:
Despite breaking the record, however, Messi wasn’t finished there and rounded off his and Barcelona’s night with a stunning hat-trick goal that was curled deliciously past the ‘keeper after a fine one-two on the edge of the box: