LFP
Marvellous Messi
* Messi became the first player to score in eleven consecutive La Liga matches
* He now has 33 goals for the season in 21 games and 202 overall
Lionel Messi hit four and Cristiano Ronaldo a hattrick as Barcelona and Real Madrid warmed up for their Spanish Cup semifinal on Wednesday with 5-1 and 4-0 victories over Getafe and Osasuna on Sunday.
Meanwhile second placed Atletico Madrid, who split the two giants at the top of the league, lost ground losing 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao.
Atletico's defeat means Barcelona stretch the lead to eleven points at the top while Real are now only four behind their city rivals in third place.
Mikel San Jose headed the first of the game from a corner on 50 minutes for Athletic Bilbao who move into twelfth.
Markel Susaeta doubled the lead on 77 minutes, finishing well after running onto a delightful through ball from Ander Herrera.
The third was again superb counter-attacking play from the Basques when Oscar De Marcos finished off a crisp passing move.
Atletico missed their top-scorer Radamel Falcao, out with injury, but had their chances in a game closer than the scoreline suggests.
Gorka Iraizoz was the hero in Bilbao's goal, acrobatically blocking a Diego Costa header just before the interval before diving to save from Raul Garcia in the second period.
Messi earlier became the first player to score in eleven consecutive La Liga matches when he hit four as Barcelona eased past ten-man Osasuna.
Osasuna remain in the relegation zone on 18 points, two from safety.
It only took eleven minutes for Messi to open the scoring and claim another record.
A long through pass was cleared by Andres only as far as Xavi Hernandez, who found the Argentine in the area, Messi then produced a beautiful dummy to take him past the keeper before tapping home.
Raoul Loe levelled the game on 24 minutes against the run of play, but the side from Pamplona were left with ten men three minutes later when centre-half Alejandro Arribas saw a second yellow card after a shot struck his hand in the area.
Messi coolly slotted away the penalty for his second and Pedro Rodriguez made it three before half-time after a generous pass from Dani Alves left him with a tap in from close range.
The Argentine got his hattrick on 56 minutes when he started a move in midfield, exchanged passes with Villa, and took the ball around the keeper before slotting home.
And a minute later it was five as he finished off a swift Barca attack and Adriano pass from close range.
Comments