Andres Iniesta: 'Lionel Messi is a blessing'

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has insisted that "it is an honour for the club" to have Lionel Messi, with the Argentine "a blessing" for the Catalan giants.

Messi scored his 499th and 500th goals for Barcelona on Sunday night as the Spanish champions came from behind to record a 3-2 victory at Real Madrid in a spectacular El Clasico.

Messi's second of the night was a last-gasp winner in the 93rd minute, and Iniesta has paid tribute to "the true greatness" of the 29-year-old following another remarkable performance.

"I think the true greatness of Leo is that he never ceases to amaze even after so many years. It is an honour for the club to have him as he is a blessing," Iniesta told reporters.

The victory at the Bernabeu saw Barcelona move above Real Madrid to the top of La Liga on the head-to-head record, although Zinedine Zidane's side still have a game in hand approaching the final weeks of the campaign.