Match ends, Barcelona 3, Leganés 1.
Barcelona 3-1 Leganes
- From the section European Football
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as runaway leaders Barcelona equalled the La Liga record of 38 games unbeaten with victory over Leganes.
Messi curled home a fantastic 30-yard free-kick before latching onto Philippe Coutinho's through ball to make it 2-0.
Nabil el Zhar pulled one back but Messi scored from Ousmane Dembele's pass to complete a 45th career hat-trick.
Barca, who are seven games from an unbeaten La Liga season, are now 12 points above Atletico Madrid.
They equalled Real Sociedad's record of 38 matches unbeaten across 1978-79 and 1979-80 - and are now targeting becoming the first team to go unbeaten in a 38-game season in Spain's top flight.
Atletico can narrow the gap back to nine points when they visit Real Madrid on Sunday (15:15 BST).
Barca are next in action on Wednesday at Roma in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, defending a 4-1 advantage from the first leg at the Nou Camp.
Messi's free-kick means he is the first player to score from outside the box in six consecutive La Liga games since at least 2003-04 - when Opta started recording detailed statistics.
Line-ups
Barcelona
- 1ter Stegen
- 2Cabral Semedo
- 3Piqué
- 25Vermaelen
- 20SergiSubstituted forAlbaat 74'minutesBooked at 84mins
- 4Rakitic
- 21André Gomes
- 11DembéléSubstituted forD Suárezat 88'minutes
- 10Messi
- 14Coutinho CorreiaBooked at 78minsSubstituted forIniestaat 81'minutes
- 9L Suárez
Substitutes
- 6D Suárez
- 8Iniesta
- 13Cillessen
- 15Paulinho
- 17Alcácer
- 18Alba
- 23Umtiti
Leganés
- 1Cuéllar
- 20ZaldúaBooked at 79mins
- 3Bustinza
- 22SiovasBooked at 51mins
- 14García
- 21PérezBooked at 76minsSubstituted forGuerreroat 78'minutes
- 8Appelt PiresBooked at 55mins
- 10El Zhar
- 17ErasoSubstituted forBrasanacat 60'minutes
- 23Ramos
- 7AmrabatSubstituted forBeauvueat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Román Triguero
- 6Gumbau
- 9Guerrero
- 12Beauvue
- 13Champagne
- 19Muñoz
- 24Brasanac
- Referee:
- Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea
- Attendance:
- 72,126
Match Stats
Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamLeganés
- Possession
- Home69%
- Away31%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away1
- Corners
- Home5
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 3, Leganés 1.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Unai Bustinza.
Foul by Lionel Messi (Barcelona).
Darko Brasanac (Leganés) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt blocked. Claudio Beauvue (Leganés) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabriel Pires.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Denis Suárez replaces Ousmane Dembélé.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 3, Leganés 1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ousmane Dembélé.
Booking
Jordi Alba (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Jordi Alba (Barcelona).
Joseba Zaldua (Leganés) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Claudio Beauvue (Leganés) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Miguel Ángel Guerrero.
Foul by Luis Suárez (Barcelona).
Unai Bustinza (Leganés) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Andrés Iniesta replaces Philippe Coutinho.
Attempt missed. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Darko Brasanac (Leganés).
Booking
Joseba Zaldua (Leganés) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jordi Alba (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joseba Zaldua (Leganés).
Substitution
Substitution, Leganés. Miguel Ángel Guerrero replaces Rubén Pérez.
Booking
Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona).
Unai Bustinza (Leganés) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Rubén Pérez (Leganés) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Rubén Pérez (Leganés).
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Jordi Alba replaces Sergi Roberto.
Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from long range on the right is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Nélson Semedo.
Foul by Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona).
Joseba Zaldua (Leganés) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by André Gomes.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 2, Leganés 1. Nabil El Zhar (Leganés) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Gabriel Pires.
Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Darko Brasanac (Leganés).
Attempt missed. Nabil El Zhar (Leganés) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Darko Brasanac with a cross.
Offside, Barcelona. André Gomes tries a through ball, but Philippe Coutinho is caught offside.
Foul by Nélson Semedo (Barcelona).
Gabriel Pires (Leganés) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
