Barcelona moved 10 points clear of Atletico Madrid atop LaLiga thanks to another inspirational display from captain Lionel Messi.
2018/2019 La Liga
1 – 4
Loren Morón (82′ )
L. Messi (18′ )
L. Messi (45’+2′ )
L. Suárez (63′ )
L. Messi (85′ )
Match Report
Lionel Messi broke yet another Barcelona record as he scored a stunning hat-trick in a superb 4-1 win at Real Betis, sending Ernesto Valverde’s men 10 points clear at the top of LaLiga.
Atletico Madrid’s surprise defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday gave Barca the chance to stretch their advantage at the summit going into the final international break of the season.
Messi scored twice in the first half at the Benito Villamarin, his first an unstoppable free-kick and his second coming moments before the interval, with Luis Suarez – who hurt his ankle late on – adding a third after the break.
On the day Messi drew level with Andres Iniesta on 674 appearances for Barca, the captain moved ahead of Xavi to set a new club record for featuring in wins – this victory becoming his 477th.
Player Ratings
