Lionel Messi's second hat-trick in eight days took his season tally
to 34 goals Sunday as Barcelona won 4-2 at Zaragoza to stay second
in the Spanish league behind Real Madrid.
The Argentina forward, who also hit a hat trick last weekend
against Valencia, now has a league-leading 25 goals after
tormenting Zaragoza's defense with a combination of close
dribbling, strength and deadly finishing.
"He's the best player in the history of football," Barcelona
president Joan Laporta said.
Messi headed home Pedro Rodriguez's cross in the fifth
minute, but it was his 66th-minute strike that will be added to his
lengthening list of great goals.
He stole possession near halfway, bursting past one player
before his quick feet left defender Matteo Contini on the turf.
Contini could only clutch at his opponent's shorts as Messi beat
goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez with a low shot that brought a standing
ovation from most fans at La Romareda stadium.
Messi followed that up with a curled shot in the 78th to beat
Jimenez and claim his fifth career hat trick.
Zaragoza's Adrian Colunga took advantage of defensive lapses
to score twice in the closing moments. But Messi's dazzling skills
led Contini to drag him down for a 90th-minute penalty that Zlatan
Ibrahimovic converted for his first goal in March.
Madrid and Barcelona both have 68 points, but Madrid leads on
goal difference.
Mallorca moved into the Spanish league's Champions League
places with a 4-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, while David Silva
paced third-place Valencia to a 2-0 win over Almeria.
Valencia has 50 points, Mallorca 46, Sevilla 44 and Athletic
Bilbao and Deportivo La Coruna both have 42.
Also, Racing Santander came from behind to win 3-1 at Osasuna
and Nabil Baha scored two second-half goals as Malaga beat
Villarreal 2-0.
Missing injured midfielder Xavi Hernandez and with Andres
Iniesta on the bench, Barcelona still enjoyed the best first-half
chances but Ibrahimovic headed a clear chance wide in the 30th and
struggled on his return to the starting lineup.
Ibrahimovic then shot wide from two clear chances with only
Jimenez to beat. Soon after, Colunga scored twice on the break.
But Messi again drove into the area, eluding several players,
before Contini dragged him down for the penalty in the last minute.
"He needs goals after this tough streak he's been on," Messi
said of the penalty from Ibrahimovic, who hadn't scored in the
league since Feb. 14.
At Mestalla stadium, Almeria held out until the 63rd minute
when Silva steered a precise ball into the box for Juanma Mata, who
sent his shot inside the near post.
Silva showed his athleticism in the 70th as the Spain
international was tripped up inside the box after reaching David
Villa's pass, but still managed to swipe a shot from the ground
past goalkeeper Diego Alves and inside the far post.
Atletico's defense was dormant for much its game, including
when Victor Casadesus slotted past goalkeeper David De Gea on his
second attempt in the 10th minute.
De Gea saved twice from Aduritz and then Casadesus before
Atletico equalized in the 26th, Diego Forlan running in to redirect
Jose Manuel Jurado's short cross home. It was the Uruguay striker's
13th goal this season.
Aritz Aduritz put the hosts ahead again two minutes later by
heading past De Gea after Atletico had failed to clear the ball.
Atletico, which was without suspended striker Sergio Aguero,
was reduced to 10 men in the 56th when Raul Garcia picked up a
second yellow card.
Luis Perea added to Atletico's pitiful performance by
sweeping a shotin the goal from a corner in the 86th. Felipe
Mattioni completed the rout by spectacularly volleying Julio
Alvarez's cross into the top corner.
"We fell apart in all aspects - in the fundamentals, the
play, the dead ball situations, in all facets of the game,"
Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores was quoted as saying. "We
didn't have an answer from the first minute - so it's normal to
lose."
At Pamplona, Miguel Flano headed Osasuna ahead in the 32nd
before Gonzalo Colsa equalized three minutes later by latching on
to a ball just outside the area to rifle home.
Racing led through Christian Fernandez's header in the 51st,
and teammate Papakouly Diop ensured victory with a goal in the
89th.
It was Racing's first win in nearly two months and took the
team seven points clear of the drop zone, as is Malaga.
In Saturday's games, it was: Real Madrid 3, Sporting Gijon 1;
Xerez 2, Tenerife 1; Deportivo La Coruna 0, Valladolid 2; Athletic
Bilbao 2, Getafe 2 and Espanyol 2, Sevilla 0.
