Lionel Messi hit a second successive La Liga hat-trick, and his eighth goal in a week, as the magical Argentine inspired Barcelona to a 4-2 win at Real Zaragoza on Sunday. Messi has now scored eleven of Barcelona's last 14 goals, virtually single-handedly keeping the champions neck-and-neck with Real Madrid at the top of the table.
It was his fifth career hat-trick for Barcelona and followed his triple in the 3-0 win over Valencia last weekend and double strike in the 4-0 win over Stuttgart which ensured a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals. "Messi did well, I'll leave it for others to find the adjectives to describe him," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. Barcelona needing a victory to stay level with Real Madrid, who beat Sporting Gijon 3-1 on Saturday, got off to the perfect start with Messi heading them in front after four minutes.
Barcelona had to wait until midway through the second half for their next goal when Messi went on mazy run, beating two players before finishing clinically. Messi though was proving unstoppable and he forced a penalty which Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted in injury time. Guardiola gave his backing to Ibrahimovic, who has been struggling in front of goal.
"He has returned to playing how he was in September and October when he was moving very well. The question of him scoring goals is the least important. What is crucial is that he is involved in the play." Meanwhile, Zaragoza coach Jose Aurelio Gay felt that Messi was the difference between the teams.