Barcelona takes over Spanish league lead after Madrid loss

MADRID — Barcelona fans protesting club president Josep Bartomeu were also given reason to cheer as Lionel Messi scored four goals and the team went back on top of the Spanish league on Saturday.

Bartomeu was jeered by part of the crowd at the Camp Nou. Fans, who also called for his resignation, have not been happy with his administration amid one of the club’s worst institutional crises, which includes a controversial coaching change and public conflicts between players and club directors.

Messi has been one of those critical of the club officials, but on Saturday he was his old self as he poured four goals past Eibar in a 5-0 rout.

Combined with Real Madrid losing to Levante 1-0, and Barcelona will take a two-point lead of the league into their clásico next weekend at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Before the clásico, Barcelona and Madrid have round-of-16 matches in the Champions League — Barcelona visits Napoli on Tuesday and Real Madrid hosts Manchester City on Wednesday.

Messi led Barcelona to victory with a hat trick in the first 40 minutes and another goal near fulltime, ending a four-game scoreless streak that marked his worst run in six years in the Spanish league.

Arthur also scored for Barcelona after an assist from debuting striker Martin Braithwaite.

“We needed a game like this, when we did things well and everything went our way,” Barcelona coach Quique Setién said.

It was the seventh time Messi scored four or more goals in a game with Barcelona.

Eibar tweeted: “All we can do is give you a standing ovation (at)teammessi”

Real Madrid wasted a dominating performance against mid-table Levante.

Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema went close in one-on-one situations in the second half, but Benzema missed wide and Hazard’s shot was saved. Benzema, Lucas Vázquez and Luka Modric already missed good chances in the first half at Ciudad de Valencia Stadium.

“We can’t look back now,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. “We are going through a difficult moment, having lost five points in two matches. We know everything will be on the line for us this next week. We have to keep our heads high and keep fighting to try to overcome this bad moment.”

Hazard was limping when he was substituted by Vinícius Júnior in the second half. Doctors immediately put ice on his right ankle, and Zidane wasn’t too optimistic after the match.