Messi leads Barcelona stars arriving for Christmas party

  /  autty

Barcelona's players celebrated Christmas at the top of the La Liga table with a visit to the Michelin star Via Veneto restaurant on Wednesday night.

Lionel Messi was, as usual, in high demand from supporters who had gathered outside the restaurant on Ganduxer Street in the city centre.

Ousmane Dembele also was true to form, being the last of the Barcelona players to arrive for the annual pre-Christmas get-together.

But the squad have plenty to celebrate following an excellent start to the campaign.

They currently sit top of the table with a three-point cushion to Sevilla and Atletico Madrid and a further two points on rivals Real Madrid.

In addition, Barca are safely through to the knockout phase of the Champions League, where they have been drawn with Lyon in the last-16.

Ernesto Valverde's side host Celta Vigo on Saturday in their final fixture before the Christmas break and they resume on January 6 with a visit to Getafe.

The only players missing from the meal were Samuel Umtiti, currently in Qatar recovering from a knee injury, and Philippe Coutinho, who took advantage of two free days to travel out of the country.

Restaurant Via Veneto is one of the most famous in Barcelona with various culinary delights on the menu.

The players could choose from Hispanic goat with mushroom and chestnuts for £38, roasted red partridge with a cabbage and potato stew for £35 or roasted duck for £36.

The restaurant also specialises in seafood dishes with a half-dozen live oysters on the list of starters for £35 or a Galician lobster in salad for £40.

Related: Barcelona Messi Ernesto Valverde
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