09 March,2015 08:29 AM IST | | PA Sport
Lionel Messi scored a record-breaking 24th Primera Division hat-trick and Luis Suarez hit a brace as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at the Nou Camp to return to the top of the table
Barcelona's Lionel Messi after scoring a goal against Rayo Vallecano at Nou Camp yesterday
Barcelona: Lionel Messi scored a record-breaking 24th Primera Division hat-trick and Luis Suarez hit a brace as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at the Nou Camp to return to the top of the table in emphatic style yesterday.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi after scoring a goal against Rayo Vallecano at Nou Camp yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
The Uruguayan got the ball rolling with an early goal and Gerard Pique doubled the lead shortly after the break, before Messi scored a treble inside 12 minutes which took him one hat-trick clear of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both sides had their right-backs sent off, with Tito getting two yellow cards for Rayo and Dani Alves getting a straight red for bringing down Alberto Bueno, who scored a consolation goal for the visitors, only for Suarez to pounce again in stoppage-time.
This was a merciless performance from Luis Enrique's side, who go one point clear at the top of the table after Real Madrid lost at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, reclaiming top spot for the first time in 2015.
Early lead for Barca
And Messi's hat-trick - his sixth of the season - takes him level with Ronaldo at the top of the league's scoring charts with 30 goals from 25 starts.
Barcelona needed just two minutes to open the scoring in this fixture last season and they took the lead with five minutes gone this time.
Suarez got ahead of Rayo's high defensive line to latch onto a through ball by Xavi and smashed the ball past Cristian Alvarez for a fifth goal in four matches.
The Uruguayan was released again a few minutes later and raced towards goal to round Alvarez but took the ball wide of the area and his cross was booted away by Abdoulaye Ba.
