Messi scores hat-trick as Barça become table toppers

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Yesterday, FC Barcelona collected three points defeating Granada-based football club Granada CF 4–0 at Camp Nou in Barcelona in a La Liga match and became league leaders again.

Barcelona had greater ball possession. The match saw five yellow cards. Four away players and Aleix Vidal of Barcelona were yellow carded. More than thirty fouls were committed in the match. Lionel Messi scored the first goal of the match in the 8^th minute, assisted by debutant Arda Turan. Minutes later, Uruguayan Luis Suárez assisted Messi and he netted the second goal in the 14^th minute. Rubén Rochina was the first player to be booked in the 29^th minute. First half ended in 2–0 with one yellow card shown.

	I'm very satisfied with how the team played.
—Luis Enrique

In the second half Edgar Méndez and David Lombán of Granada were booked in 56^th and 57^th minute. In the next minute, Sergi Roberto assisted Brazilian Neymar whose try to net a goal was saved, but the ball deflected and Messi scored the third goal of the match, completing his hat-trick.

Dória was yellow carded at the 60^th minute. Three minuted later, Aleix Vidal was yellow carded for a bad foul. Neymar, in the 83^rd minute, scored the fourth goal of the match assisted by Suárez.

After the match, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique said "I'm very satisfied with how the team played. Everybody was focused from the beginning and the players knew how important it was to win these three points."

Also yesterday Zinedine Zidane, recently appointed Real Madrid's new manager, secured a 5–0 win against Deportivo with Welsh winger Gareth Bale scoring a hat-trick as well.

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January 9, 2016
	FC Barcelona	4–0	Granada CF	Camp Nou, Barcelona Attendance: 70,720 Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo, Spain
	8' Lionel Messi 14' Lionel Messi 58' Lionel Messi 83' Neymar 63' Aleix Vidal	(2–0) HT	29' Rubén Rochina 56' Edgar Méndez 57' David Lombán 60' Doria

Sources

"Real Madrid 5-0 Deportivo La Coruna" — BBC Sport, January 9, 2016
"Barcelona 4-0 Granada CF" — BBC Sport, January 9, 2016
Associated Press. "Barcelona back on top of La Liga as Lionel Messi hat-trick sees off Granada" — The Guardian, January 9, 2016

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