21.03.2010 23:48
Hat-trick of hat tricks
Anna Segura
Messi scored his third hat trick of the season and his fifth ever for Barca on Sunday to reinforce his position as leader of the Spanish League goal scorers and boost his chances of taking the Golden Boot as Europe’s leading scorer.
Once again, Messi was the star of the show as the 22 year old Argentinean racked up his second
successive hat trick and put on a performance worthy of a player many are talking about as maybe
the best ever.
Fifth of his career
This was Messi’s third hat trick of the season following the
three goals he scored in Tenerife and last week’s against Valencia, adding to the one he
inflicted on Real Madrid in the 2006/07 season and last year’s against Atletico Madrid in the
Vicente Calderon.
Top of goal scoring table
Messi now leads Madrid ‘s Higuain in the goal scoring table by a
clear 5 goals, with 25 against Higuain’s 20 and is also closing in on Wayne Rooney in the
race for the Golden Boot with 25 goals and 50 points, against the United striker’s 26 and 52
points.
11 out of last 15
Messi has hit a rich vein of goals during his last few games, notching up 11 of the
team’s last 15 goals since the Malaga game and averaging more than a goal a game. Messi has
also beaten last year’s total, when he scored 23 all season - and there’s still 11
games to go!