Messi’s 400th La Liga goal sends Barca 5 points clear

MADRID: Lionel Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal, a total his coach Ernesto Valverde called ‘monstrous’, as Barcelona terrorised Eibar to reclaim their five-point cushion at the top of the table. Messi drove the ball into the bottom corner after being teed up by Luis Suarez, who added two goals to his own tally either side of the Argentinian marking another historic record at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

“It’s monstrous,” said Valverde, after the 3-0 victory. “It’s easy to say but you have to score them one after the other, it’s a long-term job.

“His numbers are stratospheric, incredible. He is from another galaxy.” Victory saw Valverde’s side restore their advantage over Atletico Madrid, who had briefly cut the gap to two points after beating Levante earlier in the day.

“There is a lot of time left,” Valverde said. “It is a good cushion but nothing is done yet.”

Real Madrid won too, beating Messi is the second player to score 400 goals in Europe's top five leagues. Ronaldo has 409.

Messi is the first player from Europe's big five leagues to reach 400 goals for the same club.

Messi has reached this landmark in astonishing time, needing just 435 ties. Ronaldo needed another 63 matches (498).

Ferenc Puskas played 530 games for Honvéd in Hungary & Real Madrid between 1943 & 1966, scoring 514 goals.

Luis Suarez has set up more of Messi's 400 than anyone else, claiming 29 assists. Real Betis, to ensure Spain’s big three all prevailed in the same round for only the fourth time this season. Real remain 10 points adrift of Barcelona.

Messi, meanwhile, extends his own hefty lead as the division’s all-time top scorer, which currently stands at 89 goals, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, now at Juventus in Italy, owns a better goals-togame ratio, with his 311 strikes coming in 292 matches. Messi’s quadruple century arrived in his 435th.

In fact, it was one of Messi’s quieter nights in terms of performance and in another team it might have been Suarez or Philippe Coutinho picking up the plaudits. Suarez assisted Messi, applied a classy finish and was on the end of a scintillating team move for Barca’s first.

SPARKLING DISPLAY

Coutinho was the provider for that one and delivered a sparkling dis- Messi got his first 100 in 154 games. He's added his next 300 in 281 matches.

He has scored more La Liga goals than 29 clubs in the division's history.

Messi's favoured opposition in La Liga is Sevilla, having scored 25 goals against them in 24 matches.

Messi's best Laliga season in terms of goals was the 2011-12 campaign, when he found the net 50 times.

His record of 31 hat-tricks (27 trebles and four four-goal hauls) is the second most in Laliga. play to appease those doubting his future at the club. He alone supplied three passes in the build-up to Suarez’s opener. Arthur Melo started it, playing a one-two with Coutinho and then into the feet of Sergio Busquets. Busquets pinged the ball left to Coutinho, who t wice exchanged with Suarez before the Uruguayan, off balance, found the far corner.

Messi’s moment came in the 53rd minute and it was Suarez who started it, stealing back possession after a heavy touch from Anaitz Arbilla. He bounced it off Coutinho and found Messi, who touched and rifled in.

Assists Penalties Penalties missed Hat-tricks Goal ratio

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