Another game, another record. Leo Messi scored a hat-trick to become Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer in all competitions and friendlies.

He goes past Paulino Alcantara and has now scored 371 goals for Barcleona who moved back to four points behind Real Madrid with an emphatic 7-0 win.

Messi also moved to within one goal of former Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez for goals scored in the league. He could pass Sanchez in next week’s clasico in the Santiago Bernabeu.

If he does he will only have Telmo Zarra to beat to become the man with more goals in the Spanish league than any other in the competition’s history.

But for now he can savour the treble that made him the club’s all-time top scorer in all matches. Alcántara got most of his goals in the 1920s in friendlies and Catalan Championship matches before La Liga was formed but he still appeared in club record books as its top scorer… until Messi went past him aged just 26.

Messi told Spanish TV: ‘People want me to continue here then I will. My intention is to retire here. I’m very happy.’

It was a tap-in from the Argentine in the first half after Alexis Sanchez had crossed from the right following Xavi’s pass, that opened the scoring for Barcelona.

Alexis made it two after Jordi Alba crossed from the left having combined with Andres Iniesta.

And it was Iniesta who scored the third from distance with an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area.

It was one of the best first 45 minute performances Barcelona have produced all season, in stark contrast to last week’s horror show against Valladolid when they fell to their third defeat of the season.

And the improved form could not have come at a better time with Real Madrid on the horizon.

In the second half there was no let-up as Messi scored his second combing with Iniesta and the big 370 goals was flashed up on the Nou Camp scoreboard.

He should have scored his hat-trick shortly after but inexplicably looped his shot from Pedro’s cross over the bar with only Andres Fernandez to beat.

Iniesta and Pedro also missed chances before another opportunity for Messi to make it three was squandered with his shot saved by Fernandez.

Barça’s ridiculous strength in depth in attack was already being well demonstrated with the form of Alexis making it easy to forget they had Neymar on the bench. That strength in depth was even more apparent when Cristian Tello came on late in the second half and bent in goal number five from distance.

Messi then completed his hat-trick from Dani Alves’ pass and Pedro got a well-deserved goal on 90 minutes making it a magnificent seven for Barcelona.

—Daily Mail