‘Decisive’ Messi downs Sevilla with 50th career hat-trick

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal to complete his hat-trick - Reuters

SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters): Lionel Messi scored his 50th career hat-trick to fire Barcelona to a 4-2 win at Sevilla on Saturday after the champions had twice fallen behind, giving the Catalans a 10-point lead at the top of La Liga.

Sevilla, who have only won once in the league in 2019, took the lead midway through the first half through veteran winger Jesus Navas, but were soon pegged back by an unstoppable volley from Messi.

The home side capitalised on sleepy defending from Barça to re-take the lead before halftime as Gabriel Mercado pounced in the area.

Barça coach Ernesto Valverde made two attacking changes at the start of the second period by introducing OusmaneDembele and Sergi Roberto and got the intended reaction when the France winger laid the ball off to Messi just inside the area and the Argentine lashed it into the top corner.

Messi, who has struggled for form in recent weeks due to a niggling injury, looked on a mission to grab the winner, and after twice coming close, he completed his treble to put Barça ahead in the 85th minute, reacting quickly to a poor Sevilla clearance to dink the ball over goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.

Luis Suarez made sure of the points by scoring deep in stoppage time, chipping Vaclik after being played through by a pass from Messi.

Barça lead the standings on 57 points after 25 games while second-placed Atletico Madrid have 47 but can reduce the gap back to seven when they host Villarreal on Sunday.

Sevilla fell to fifth, slipping out of the Champions League places behind Getafe.

“Messi is decisive and superlative, every team has decisive players but we have the best in the world,” said Barça coach Ernesto Valverde.

“It’s not just his goals either, but because he always delivers in the right place at the right time.”

Sevilla had endured a humiliating 3-0 loss at struggling Villarreal last week but before the game,Valverde warned of the Andalusians’ outstanding record at their Sanchez Pizjuan, where they had thrashed Real Madrid 3-0 and beaten Barça 2-0 in the Copa del Rey this season.

It was his 44th hat-trick for Barça, with 32 coming in La Liga, eight in the Champions League, three in the Copa del Rey, and one in the Spanish Super Cup. He has also struck six trebles for Argentina.