Match ends, Levante 0, Barcelona 5.
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick and created another two goals as Barcelona thrashed 10-man Levante to regain a three-point lead at the top of La Liga.
The champions were joined at the top by Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, who both claimed victories this weekend.
But Messi stole the show once he crossed for Luis Suarez's opener.
The Argentine converted two clinical finishes and popped home from close range, as well cutting the ball back for Gerard Pique's late fifth.
Levante had defender Erick Cabaco sent off with 14 minutes to go for a straight red card after he recklessly lunged in on French winger Ousmane Dembele.
The hosts started brightly with striker Emmanuel Boateng smashing a shot against the crossbar and the Ghanaian also came close with a low, drilled effort towards the near post which Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to stoop to keep out, before Messi's intervention.
Magical Messi
Barca achieved a stylish revenge after last season's agonising 5-4 loss against Levante ended their chances of going the full season unbeaten in the penultimate game of the campaign.
Though they were second best in the early stages, there was no doubting the result once they broke the deadlock on 34 minutes.
Messi pounced on a loose ball as Levante looked to pass it out from the back and the chance looked to be gone when he was forced out wide, but a clever cross into the box allowed Suarez to side-foot home a first-time finish from 12 yards out.
Nine minutes later, Barca skipper Messi was played in on goal by Sergio Busquets' pass and the Argentine held off a defender to roll a finish into the far corner and then stroking home from the edge of the box for his second.
Messi completed his hat-trick with an easy finish from close range for his 50th goal for club and country in 2018 - and there was still time for defender Pique to start a move in his own box, before sprinting up the pitch to roll in from Messi's cutback.
Line-ups
Levante
Formation 3-5-2
- 13Olazábal
- 18CabacoBooked at 76mins
- 15PostigoSubstituted forPrcicat 70'minutes
- 4Suárez PierBooked at 25mins
- 23Remeseiro SalgueiroBooked at 59mins
- 16RochinaSubstituted forAndújar Morenoat 69'minutes
- 24Campaña
- 10Bardhi
- 3García Aranda
- 21BoatengSubstituted forMayoralat 62'minutes
- 11Morales
Substitutes
- 2Mayoral
- 6Chema
- 7Simon
- 8Prcic
- 9Martí
- 12Andújar Moreno
- 25Fernández
Barcelona
Formation 3-5-2
- 1ter Stegen
- 3Piqué
- 15Lenglet
- 24VermaelenSubstituted forArthurat 52'minutes
- 11DembéléBooked at 18minsSubstituted forD Suárezat 81'minutes
- 4RakiticBooked at 36mins
- 5Busquets
- 22VidalSubstituted forCoutinhoat 78'minutes
- 18AlbaBooked at 45mins
- 9Suárez
- 10Messi
Substitutes
- 6D Suárez
- 7Coutinho
- 8Arthur
- 13Cillessen
- 19El Haddadi
- 21Aleñá
- 27Miranda
- Referee:
- José Luis González González
- Attendance:
- 23,736
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home43%
- Away57%
- Shots
- Home20
- Away16
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away9
- Corners
- Home15
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Levante 0, Barcelona 5.
Post update
Offside, Levante. Coke tries a through ball, but Borja Mayoral is caught offside.
Post update
Corner, Levante. Conceded by Coutinho.
Post update
Corner, Levante. Conceded by Marc-André ter Stegen.
Post update
Attempt saved. Sanjin Prcic (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Rober Pier.
Goal!
Goal! Levante 0, Barcelona 5. Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sanjin Prcic (Levante) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Corner, Levante. Conceded by Clément Lenglet.
Post update
Attempt saved. Denis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Post update
Attempt missed. Coutinho (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Post update
Offside, Barcelona. Coutinho tries a through ball, but Luis Suárez is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jason (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Levante. Conceded by Marc-André ter Stegen.
Post update
Attempt saved. Borja Mayoral (Levante) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Coke.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Denis Suárez replaces Ousmane Dembélé.
Post update
Attempt missed. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Post update
Attempt missed. Sanjin Prcic (Levante) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Rober Pier.
Post update
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Coutinho replaces Arturo Vidal.
Comments
Join the conversation
He makes the difficult look easy,Genius!!
Messi now has the most goals, most assists, and most dribbles, of any player in the top five leagues.
And tbh even if you look solely at goalscoring Messi still edges it. He has more goals per game and and significantly better shot conversion rate.
As for Ronaldo's "challenge", he's always been obsessed with Messi to the point where it has also elevated himself. Without Messi, CR7 would not be as great whereas without CR7, messi wouldve had the exact same career
Lowly Levante . . Way higher than Valencia, who turned over 6th in the EPL. Stick to EPL you narrow minded bigot.
Yeah Ronaldo’s has taken on a new challenge joining the team who have won the league for the past seven years and the double the last four years.
Messi has been the best player in the world for each of the last 10 years.
Real got rid of him, tired of his petulant nonsense and consent bleating for new contracts and his pathetic need to be the centre of attention. Even Real fans never really loved.
The man is a legend.
How's this one for you? He's scored 8% of all the goals in their history!
Two team Joke league . . Well La Liga is tighter than the two team joke EPL. Anyway, bit of a slight on Real Madrid don't you think?