Messi hat trick as Barca create a new winning record

Leo Messi got to 25 goals and Barca got to a record 16 consecutive victories.


Lionel Messi scored another sublime hat-trick for Barcelona tonight as the Catalans strolled to a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou to break Real Madrid's 50-year-old record of 15 straight league victories.

The goal took Messi's Primera Division tally for the season to 24 goals - one more than Cristiano Ronaldo - after 22 games, and the Barça forward has Hugo Sanchez's long-standing record of 38 very much in his sights. Of greater importance to the Catalan club, however, is the difference at the top of the table, which is now ten points over Barça's fierce rivals Real, who host Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu tomorrow.

Barcelona 3-0 Atletico Madrid Highlights (05/02/2011)