MESSI TREBLE SEALS TITLE … AND SEES HIM OVERTAKE MO
BARCELONA won their 25th La Liga title with four games to spare and they won it fittingly, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory at Deportivo. Messi’s treble put him one goal ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Shoe and with 32 goals this season he becomes the first player in La Liga history to score 30 or more in seven separate seasons. He has been the difference once again, maintaining an extraordinary level week after week as Real Madrid threw away points and Atletico Madrid struggled to keep pace. This is the seventh Liga title Barcelona have won in the last 10 years but coach Ernesto Valverde’s first after taking over last summer. He said: ‘I’m not the first to win with these players. It’s a great dressing room. I have tried to fit the style of the club. I’ve tried to leave things alone when that was the right thing to do. I have tried to keep the group together in good and bad times.’ Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring when he took Ousmane Dembele’s pass and found the top corner with a curling first-time shot. Messi scored the second on 38 minutes from Luis Suarez’s pass. The former Liverpool striker spooned a perfect cross over the defence and on to Messi’s foot. Arriving at the far post, he side-footed home a volley at the near post. It was his 30th goal of the season and made it seven of the last nine seasons in which he has scored 30 or more goals in the domestic competition. Deportivo equalised through Lucas Perez and Emre Colak, but Messi lifted Barca again. First he played a one-two with Suarez before finishing in the 82nd minute, and three minutes later he completed his hat-trick from another Suarez pass. There was still time for Andres Iniesta to come on and receive an ovation from the supporters of relegated Deportivo. The Barca legend is leaving after the season and said: ‘There are no words when you receive that sort of ovation in that circumstance. I wish that this could be eternal but it can’t be and I have a new adventure next season.’ JUVENTUS took a huge step towards becoming Italian champions after closest rivals Napoli lost 3-0 at Fiorentina.