Messi scores hat-trick as Barça become table toppers

January 10, 2016

Yesterday, FC Barcelona collected three points defeating -based football club 4–0 at  in Barcelona in a La Liga match and became league leaders again.

Barcelona had greater ball possession. The match saw five. Four away players and Aleix Vidal of Barcelona were yellow carded. More than thirty fouls were committed in the match. Lionel Messi scored the first goal of the match in the 8th minute, assisted by debutant. Minutes later, Uruguayan Luis Suárez assisted Messi and he netted the second goal in the 14th minute. was the first player to be booked in the 29th minute. First half ended in 2–0 with one yellow card shown.

In the second half and  of Granada were booked in 56th and 57th minute. In the next minute, Sergi Roberto assisted Brazilian Neymar whose try to net a goal was saved, but the ball deflected and Messi scored the third goal of the match, completing his hat-trick.

was yellow carded at the 60th minute. Three minuted later, Aleix Vidal was yellow carded for a bad foul. Neymar, in the 83rd minute, scored the fourth goal of the match assisted by Suárez.

After the match, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique said "I'm very satisfied with how the team played. Everybody was focused from the beginning and the players knew how important it was to win these three points."

Also yesterday Zinedine Zidane, recently appointed Real Madrid's new manager, secured a 5–0 win against with Welsh winger Gareth Bale scoring a hat-trick as well.