The Argentina international struck three times at Camp Nou,
passing through the 400-goal barrier in the process, while
Gerard Pique and Pedro were also on target
Lionel Messi scored a superb hat-trick as Barcelona came
from behind to rout city rivals Espanyol 5-1 on Sunday
evening.
Blaugrana academy product Sergio Garcia silenced Camp
Nou by opening the scoring 13 minutes in but Messi levelled
matters just before half-time.
The Argentina international put Barca ahead five minutes into
the second half and, after Gerard Pique had headed home a
third, the four-time Ballon d'Or winner completed his hat-trick
with his second right-footed finish of the game.
There was even time for Pedro to add a fifth, as Barca
warmed up for Wednesday's crunch Champions League clash
with Paris Saint-Germain in fine style.
Barca started sluggishly, as Garcia flashed a cross in from
the left, and only a last-ditch Jordi Alba intervention denied
Lucas Vazquez an easy finish.
But clinical visiting play saw Espanyol seize the initiative as
Felipe Caicedo robbed Sergio Busquets on the right flank, and
fed Garcia , who breezed past Pique before executing a low
finish past Claudio Bravo.
Garcia could only fire tamely at Bravo as Espanyol threatened
to double their lead, but it only seemed to spur Barca on
further as Messi struck the crossbar with a 30-yard free-kick,
before Luis Suarez fired just wide.
And with home pressure building before the break, Messi bent
an unstoppable effort into the bottom-left corner from 25
yards to restore parity on the stroke of half-time.
The visitors were somewhat lucky not to be reduced to 10
men in the 49th minute as Eric Bailly barged Neymar over
with the Brazilian through on goal.
But it mattered little to Barca, who edged themselves ahead a
minute later.
Messi 's first touch from Suarez's pass was heavy, but he
reacted quickly to poke the ball through Juan Fuentes' legs
and then stroke right-footed past Casilla from the edge of the
area.
And their third arrived shortly after, Pique atoning for his role
in Garcia's opener as he headed Ivan Rakitic's corner into the
net.
With the result already in little doubt, substitute Pedro latched
on to Alba's exquisite cross-field pass before coolly slotting
beyond Casilla in the 77th minute and Messi completed the
rout four minute later.
The Argentine combined brilliantly with Pedro, playing a one-
two into the area before steering into the net from 10 yards,
securing his third hat-trick in four games and maintaining
Barca's dominance over their near neighbours.