Barca 5-0 Eibar: Messi hits FOUR in riot & sends Barca top before Clasico

Lionel Messi scored a magnificent forty-minute hat-trick - his first goals for four games - as Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga with a convincing 5-0 win against Eibar.

Messi (14'), Messi (37'), Messi (40'), Messi (87'), Arthur (89')

4' OFFSIDE! Eibar see their early goal disallowed

NO GOAL! Eibar thought they had the lead, with Enrich having headed home from Cote’s cross, but the offside flag was up. Moments earlier, Ter Stegen had made a smart stop low to his right to keep out Escalante’s shot.

14' GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Eibar (Messi)

That is magic from Messi! Well, Barca haven’t really clicked into gear but, with a man of Messi’s quality in their side, it doesn’t always matter. He received the ball from Rakitic with his back to goal, before nutmegging a defender, escaping Diop and lofting a wonderful finish into the bottom-right corner. It's 1-0 Barca!

37' GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Eibar (Messi)



It’s 2-0 now, and it’s the main man Messi once more. Busquets fed Vidal, who in turn laid it into Messi’s path and, once he was in the area, the forward had no trouble in sending a low finish across the face of goal from a tight angle.

40' GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Eibar (Messi)

MESSI HAS HIS HAT-TRICK! Well, no goals for 398 minutes and now three in the space of 26 for Barca’s star. He capitalised on an Eibar mistake and looked set to go for goal, but instead teed up Griezmann. His sloppy touch was intercepted, but Messi made no mistake with a first-time finish on the rebound.

72' Braithwaite subbed on to make his Barcelona debut

A huge moment now for Braithwaite, who is on for his Barca debut. He replaces Griezmann.

87' GOAL! Barcelona 4-0 Eibar (Messi)

MESSI GETS HIS FOURTH! A great moment for Braithwaite, as he takes down a chipped pass from Vidal, gets the better of his marker and drills in a cross which Dmitrov parries back out to Messi, who teases Arbilla and Eibar’s goalkeeper before slotting home from five yards out.

89' GOAL! Barcelona 5-0 Eibar (Arthur)

Arthur makes it 5-0! Barca have been nowhere near their best, but this has turned into a rout. Braithwaite got in behind and had a low shot saved by Dmitrov, but Arthur is on hand to tuck home the rebound.

Line-ups
Barcelona XI: Messi, Pique, Rakitic, Vidal, Busquets, Griezmann, Ter Stegen, Lenglet, Semedo, Arthur, Firpo

Subs: Neto, Braithwaite, Roberto, Umtiti, De Jong, Sergio Akieme, Fati

Eibar XI: Diop, Inui, Orellana, Arbilla, Cote, Enrich, Dmitrovic, Escalante, Burgos, Tejero, Exposito

Subs: Pedro Leon, Gonzalez, Yoel, De Blasis, Alvarez, Oliveira, Cristóforo