Barcelona 6-1 Rayo Vallecano

Lionel Messi has scored 40 goals for six successive seasons

Lionel Messi scored the 24th hat-trick of his La Liga career as rampant Barcelona went to the top of the table.

Barca took full advantage of Real Madrid's defeat by Athletic Bilbao as Luis Suarez also scored twice.

Suarez fired the hosts ahead and Gerard Pique forced in the second before Messi netted three in 12 minutes.

He scored a twice-taken penalty, tapped in the fourth and added a classy fifth before Suarez wrapped it up after an Alberto Bueno penalty for Rayo.

Both sides finished with 10 men as Román Triguero collected a second yellow card for pulling down Suarez, conceding the penalty that allowed Messi to make it 3-0.

Barca defender Dani Alves was then dismissed 10 minutes from the end for tripping Bueno as he went through on goal.

Reigning in Spain - La Liga's top scorers 2014-15
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)	30
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)	30
Neymar (Barcelona)	17
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)	14
Carlos Bacca (Sevilla)	14
Alberto Bueno (Rayo Vallecano)	13
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)	13

The Rayo striker took the penalty himself to move to 13 La Liga goals for season.

Messi now has 30 league goals, the same total as Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, whose tally of 23 La Liga hat-tricks now trails Messi by one.

The 27-year-old Argentine, now also holds the record as the most prolific hat-trick scorer in Spanish football, with his 32 in all competitions eclipsing the total he previously shared with Telmo Zarra, who played most of his football for Athletic Bilbao from 1940-55.

Messi clocked up his latest record figures despite an anonymous first-half performance against mid-table Rayo, whose goalkeeper Cristian Alvarez produced an inspired performance to limit the damage.

Suarez opened the scoring with his 12th goal of the season after five minutes, steering the ball home from Xavi Hernandez's fine pass.

Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga for the first time since early November

But after Pique had made it 2-0 early in the second half, following up after an Alves header had hit a post, Messi took over.

After his initial spot-kick was saved, the Argentina international was given a second opportunity because of encroachment into the penalty area and he drilled the ball home.

His second was a tap-in after a Suarez shot had been saved by Alvarez before a trademark shimmy took him round the Rayo goalkeeper to give him his 41st goal of the season in all competitions.

Barcelona are now one point ahead of Real Madrid and the two sides meet at the Nou Camp on 22 March.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique:

"The objective is to be the leader when the season ends.

"I have always said the big teams will lose throughout the course of the season and it will continue to happen, therefore we have to be very careful."

Luis Suarez has scored six goals in his last six games

Former Manchester United defender Gerard Pique has scored six times this season

Messi scored at the second attempt after his initial penalty was saved by Cristian Alvarez

Alberto Bueno's penalty made it five in two games for the striker, who scored all four in a 4-2 win over Levante

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Barcelona

• 13Bravo
• 22Alves da SilvaBooked at 80mins
• 3Piqué
• 24Mathieu
• 18AlbaBooked at 57minsSubstituted forCorreiaat 69'minutesBooked at 90mins
• 6Hernández
• 14MascheranoBooked at 29minsSubstituted forRakiticat 60'minutes
• 8IniestaSubstituted forRafinhaat 65'minutes
• 10Messi
• 9Suárez
• 7Pedro

Substitutes

• 1ter Stegen
• 4Rakitic
• 12Rafinha
• 15Bartra
• 20Roberto Carnicer
• 21Correia
• 31El Haddadi

Rayo Vallecano

• 13Álvarez
• 2Román TrigueroBooked at 54mins
• 15Ba
• 4Amaya
• 14Insúa
• 10TrashorrasBooked at 56mins
• 21Sánchez RuizSubstituted forMarín Ruizat 65'minutes
• 22Pereira CarneiroSubstituted forAquinoat 69'minutesBooked at 84mins
• 23Bueno
• 12Kakuta
• 19BaptistaoSubstituted forContreiras Gonçalvesat 81'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Cobeño
• 3Martínez García
• 9Contreiras Gonçalves
• 16Aquino
• 17Marín Ruiz
• 24Pozuelo Melero
• 27Moreno Lopera

Referee:

Jesús Gil Manzano

Attendance:

87,151

Match Stats

Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamRayo Vallecano

Possession

Home57%

Away43%

Shots

Home19

Away7

Shots on Target

Home12

Away3

Corners

Home4

Away1

Fouls

Home13

Away11

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Barcelona 6, Rayo Vallecano 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+3'

Second Half ends, Barcelona 6, Rayo Vallecano 1.

Posted at 90'+3'

Attempt missed. Manucho (Rayo Vallecano) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Gaël Kakuta.

Posted at 90'+3'

Attempt saved. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lionel Messi with a through ball.

Goal!

Posted at 90'+1'

Goal! Barcelona 6, Rayo Vallecano 1. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lionel Messi with a through ball.

Booking

Posted at 90'

Adriano (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Adriano (Barcelona).

Posted at 90'

Alberto Bueno (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 88'

Offside, Barcelona. Rafinha tries a through ball, but Lionel Messi is caught offside.

Posted at 87'

Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Luis Suárez following a fast break.

Posted at 86'

Foul by Adriano (Barcelona).

Posted at 86'

Javier Aquino (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Booking

Posted at 84'

Javier Aquino (Rayo Vallecano) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 84'

Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 84'

Foul by Javier Aquino (Rayo Vallecano).

Posted at 83'

Attempt saved. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic.

Substitution

Posted at 81'

Substitution, Rayo Vallecano. Manucho replaces Leo Baptistao.

Goal!

Posted at 81'

Goal! Barcelona 5, Rayo Vallecano 1. Alberto Bueno (Rayo Vallecano) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.

Dismissal

Posted at 80'

Dani Alves (Barcelona) is shown the red card.

Posted at 79'

Penalty conceded by Dani Alves (Barcelona) after a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at 79'

Penalty Rayo Vallecano. Alberto Bueno draws a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at 79'

Foul by Xavi (Barcelona).

Posted at 79'

Emiliano Insúa (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 78'

Foul by Dani Alves (Barcelona).

Posted at 78'

Javier Aquino (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 77'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 76'

Delay in match (Barcelona).

Posted at 75'

Attempt missed. Dani Alves (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic.

Posted at 74'

Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Cristian Álvarez.

Posted at 74'

Attempt saved. Adriano (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Rafinha.

Posted at 73'

Adriano (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Abdoulaye Ba (Rayo Vallecano).

Posted at 71'

Offside, Barcelona. Lionel Messi tries a through ball, but Pedro is caught offside.

Posted at 70'

Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Abdoulaye Ba.

Substitution

Posted at 69'

Substitution, Barcelona. Adriano replaces Jordi Alba.

Substitution

Posted at 69'

Substitution, Rayo Vallecano. Javier Aquino replaces Licá.

Goal!

Posted at 68'

Goal! Barcelona 5, Rayo Vallecano 0. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pedro with a cross.

Posted at 67'

Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

Posted at 66'

Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 66'

Foul by Roberto Trashorras (Rayo Vallecano).

Show more updates