Lionel Messi scores hat trick as Barca top Levante and remains top of La Liga table
"Last year they put five goals past us so I'm particularly pleased to have won the game," Valverde said. Messi, in his mesmeric best, notched the 31st La Liga hat trick of his career for Barca while also setting up goals for Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez. Not yet sated, he laid on the pass for Pique to complete the route that took Barca to leaders on to 34 points after 16 matches, three points clear of Sevilla and Atletico Madrid. Maybe Barca coach Ernesto Valverde lined up using an unorthodox formation, playing with French forwards Ousmane Dembele as a wing back and Jordi Alba on the left. Messi struck his first goal of the night before the period, latching on to a defense-splitting pass from Sergio Busquets and racing clear to knock the ball with his right foot. His masterclass started as he carved his way through the defense of the home side before producing an outrageous no-look pass to open the scoring soon after Levante had struck the underside of the crossbar. Levante was the only team to beat Barca in the league a year ago, magnificent them at the Ciutat de Valencia scene using a 5-4 win in the penultimate game of the campaign. Lionel Messi provided two assists in another sensational individual screen as a rampant Barcelona and netted his first hat trick of the La Liga season won to fortify their lead. Lionel Messi scores stay high in La Liga table and hat trick since Barca Levante The Barca captain, after his 2 mesmeric goals from free kicks up a week, appeared intent on producing a mockery of his current standing by striking again soon after the period. "Suarez and Messi are the very best striking partnership on the planet. Luis has aims in his veins -- and everything has already been said about Leo," defender Pique said, paying tribute to Barca's prolific South American dual act. Before going on to complete his treble from close range on the hour mark, he dispatched Jordi Alba's low cross into the bottom corner with an end. His treble took him to 14 league goals for the season, two more than any other striker at Europe's "big five" leagues. Barca nearly fell behind when the bar was rattled by Emanuel Boateng and took their time to accommodate to the creation. All altered though with the dazzling run of Messi to Suarez's opener throughout the pitch at the build-up, and Barca never looked back. Argentine Messi, who will gather for a fifth time that the Golden Shoe trophy that's awarded to the leading marksman in the branches of Europe's soccer leagues, seems on a mission. Read the full article
