Barca 5-0 Eibar: Messi hits FOUR in riot & sends Barca top before Clasico

Lionel Messi scored a magnificent forty-minute hat-trick - his first goals for four games - as Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga with a convincing 5-0 win against Eibar.

Match Report

Lionel Messi was in inspirational form as he scored four goals – including a first-half hat-trick – to lead Barcelona to an easy 5-0 win over Eibar at the end of a difficult week for the club.

Messi had gone over a month without a goal in LaLiga before Saturday but once he found his groove there was no hope for hapless Eibar, as Barca's talisman tore the visitors apart at will.

Much of the build-up to the contest had been dominated by off-field matters, including the controversial out-of-window signing of Martin Braithwaite and president Josep Maria Bartomeu denying the club hired a firm to "damage the image" of players past and present, including Messi.

Yet Messi appeared unencumbered by the controversies, the Argentina superstar scoring a wonderful treble in the first half before adding a fourth after the break. A goal for Arthur late on completed a handsome triumph ahead of a potentially season-defining week, which includes clashes with Napoli and Real Madrid.

Standings

Match Events

4' OFFSIDE! Eibar see their early goal disallowed

NO GOAL! Eibar thought they had the lead, with Enrich having headed home from Cote’s cross, but the offside flag was up. Moments earlier, Ter Stegen had made a smart stop low to his right to keep out Escalante’s shot.

14' GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Eibar (Messi)

That is magic from Messi! Well, Barca haven’t really clicked into gear but, with a man of Messi’s quality in their side, it doesn’t always matter. He received the ball from Rakitic  with his back to goal, before nutmegging a defender, escaping Diop and lofting a wonderful finish into the bottom-right corner. It's 1-0 Barca!

37' GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Eibar (Messi)

It’s 2-0 now, and it’s the main man Messi once more. Busquets fed Vidal, who in turn laid it into Messi’s path and, once he was in the area, the forward had no trouble in sending a low finish across the face of goal from a tight angle.

40' GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Eibar (Messi)

MESSI HAS HIS HAT-TRICK! Well, no goals for 398 minutes and now three in the space of 26 for Barca’s star. He capitalised on an Eibar mistake and looked set to go for goal, but instead teed up Griezmann. His sloppy touch was intercepted, but Messi made no mistake with a first-time finish on the rebound.

72' Braithwaite subbed on to make his Barcelona debut

A huge moment now for Braithwaite, who is on for his Barca debut. He replaces Griezmann.

87' GOAL! Barcelona 4-0 Eibar (Messi)

MESSI GETS HIS FOURTH! A great moment for Braithwaite, as he takes down a chipped pass from Vidal, gets the better of his marker and drills in a cross which Dmitrov parries back out to Messi, who teases Arbilla and Eibar’s goalkeeper before slotting home from five yards out.

89' GOAL! Barcelona 5-0 Eibar (Arthur)

Arthur makes it 5-0! Barca have been nowhere near their best, but this has turned into a rout. Braithwaite got in behind and had a low shot saved by Dmitrov, but Arthur is on hand to tuck home the rebound.

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