Match ends, Barcelona 4, Huesca 1.
BarcelonaBarcelona4HuescaHuesca1
Lionel Messi scored twice and made another on the day he equalled Xavi's record for most Barcelona appearances.
Messi was playing for Barca for the 767th time and his curled double, along with goals from Antoine Griezmann and Oscar Mingueza, helped his side to a comfortable win over struggling Huesca.
Rafa Mir scored a controversial penalty for Huesca at the end of the first half, but Barca cruised to the victory.
They move second in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.
The 33-year-old Argentina forward has won La Liga 10 times and the Champions League on four occasions among 34 trophies since he made his competitive debut as a substitute in a 1-0 away derby win against Espanyol on 16 October 2004.
Messi, whose contract expires at the end of this season, will break former Spain midfielder Xavi's record on Sunday if he plays in the league game at Real Sociedad.
Barcelona were knocked out in the last 16 of the Champions League by Paris St-Germain on Wednesday but still have hopes of winning a domestic league and cup double.
Against bottom-of-the-table Huesca, Messi scored after 13 minutes with a fine, left-footed curled effort from outside the penalty area before Griezmann added an almost identical goal 22 minutes later.
Huesca had lost 8-2 at the Nou Camp in 2018, but were given a fortunate way back into the game when Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was adjudged to have fouled Huesca's Mir.
The striker, on loan from Wolves, converted the penalty, but the hosts restored their two-goal lead when Mingueza headed his first goal for the club following Messi's cross from the left wing.
Mir had a chance to make it 3-2 but somehow chested the ball over the bar from only a few yards out. Messi grabbed his second goal of the night, and his 661st for Barcelona, with another curled, left-footed shot from distance in stoppage time.
The win takes Barcelona, who have already reached the Copa del Rey final, above Real Madrid and into second with 11 league games of the season remaining.
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1ter Stegen
- 28Mingueza
- 21F de JongSubstituted forAraujoat 63'minutes
- 15Lenglet
- 2DestSubstituted forKourouma Kouroumaat 69'minutes
- 5Busquets
- 16PedriSubstituted forPuigat 85'minutes
- 18Alba
- 10Messi
- 7GriezmannSubstituted forMachado Trincãoat 69'minutes
- 11DembéléSubstituted forBraithwaiteat 85'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Araujo
- 8Pjanic
- 9Braithwaite
- 12Puig
- 13Neto
- 17Machado Trincão
- 19Fernandes Siqueira
- 23Umtiti
- 24Firpo
- 27Kourouma Kourouma
- 36Tenas
Huesca
Formation 5-3-2
- 1Fernández
- 3MaffeoSubstituted forLópezat 78'minutes
- 14Pulido
- 18Siovas
- 4ÍnsuaBooked at 60minsSubstituted forVavroat 78'minutes
- 11Galán Gil
- 7FerreiroSubstituted forOntiverosat 78'minutes
- 2DoumbiaSubstituted forSeoaneat 60'minutes
- 17Rico
- 23EscricheBooked at 48minsSubstituted forGómezat 60'minutes
- 9Mir
Substitutes
- 5Mosquera
- 6Ramírez
- 10Gómez
- 12Okazaki
- 13Fernández
- 15Ontiveros
- 19López
- 20Seoane
- 21Real
- 24García
- 25Vavro
- Referee:
- Adrián Cordero Vega
Match Stats
Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamHuesca
- Possession
- Home69%
- Away31%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away4
- Corners
- Home7
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 4, Huesca 1.
Post update
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Ronald Araujo.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 4, Huesca 1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Trincão.
Post update
Foul by Óscar Mingueza (Barcelona).
Post update
Javi Galán (Huesca) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Offside, Barcelona. Ilaix Moriba tries a through ball, but Jordi Alba is caught offside.
Post update
Riqui Puig (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Jaime Seoane (Huesca).
Post update
Óscar Mingueza (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Jaime Seoane (Huesca).
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Riqui Puig replaces Pedri.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Martin Braithwaite replaces Ousmane Dembélé.
Post update
Attempt missed. Rafa Mir (Huesca) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Ilaix Moriba (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Rafa Mir (Huesca).
Post update
Foul by Ronald Araujo (Barcelona).
Post update
Rafa Mir (Huesca) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Huesca. Denis Vavro replaces Pablo Ínsua.
Substitution
Substitution, Huesca. Javier Ontiveros replaces David Ferreiro.
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Comments
Join the conversation
Copa America runner-up: 2007, 2015, 2016
World Cup runner up 2014
People have quite a harsh view of a player 'doing nothing' for his country.
Di Stefano, Cruyff, Platini, Best, Zico, C.Ronaldo have never won the World Cup either.
It's a team sport.
I watched him as a 17 year old years ago, like a fine bottle of whiskey, Messi has aged beautifully. Hope to see him again in the premier league!
Alan Shearer, 283 in 559 games............and.............
Some other bloke who's still going.................661 in 767 games.............Honestly, you just can't get the staff nowadays.
I think Messi want Aguero to be with him, whether he stays a Barca or he leaving for another club.
God's gift to football
Period
There are some good players out there every generation has them but this lad was special a real natural genius
The world moves on I am sure there are some rising stars in the twenties that are beginning to rewrite the history books, perhaps light touch reviews of these new kid on the block please
Barca so porous at the back though.
Huesca could have had 3 or 4 with better finishing.
You'd think an ex-defender as manager would be tighter at the back.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂