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La Liga | Gameweek 16
Dec 16, 2018 at 7.45pm UK
 
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0-5

FT(HT: 0-2)
Suarez (35'), Messi (43', 47', 60'), Pique (88')

Valverde pleased with win as Messi-inspired Barca hit Levante for five

Valverde pleased with win as Messi-inspired Barca hit Levante for five
© Reuters
Barcelona were beaten 5-4 in this fixture last season.

Ernesto Valverde admitted Barcelona's last visit to Levante was still on their minds as Lionel Messi inspired them to a 5-0 victory.

Messi scored yet another hat-trick as Barcelona laid a few ghosts and
cemented their place at the top of LaLiga.

The Argentina star completed his 49th career hat-trick with his 50th goal for
club and country of 2018 as Barca romped to a 5-0 victory to ensure they remain three points clear at the summit.

The reigning champions needed no reminder of their last visit to the Ciutat de
Valencia, when their dream of completing an unbeaten domestic campaign was extinguished in a sensational 5-4 defeat in May – their penultimate game of the season.

"We are happy because last year we played here and conceded five after a whole season without losing," Barca coach Valverde was quoted by the Spanish press as saying at his post-match press conference.

"That was only a few months ago, they are having a great season and they keep showing that.

"We remembered last year and we managed to put it behind us and leave with a clean sheet."

Levante started well again on Sunday and could have taken the lead when Emmanuel Boateng hammered a shot against the underside of the crossbar which just stayed out.

"Because of the result it will look easy, but it wasn't so much, especially at the beginning," he said.

"They started as we imagined.

"We had to change the set-up based on the casualties we had so it was difficult for us and they squeezed us.

"They're able to score and dangerous when they counter-attack but we had the fortune of opening the score."

Spain Soccer La Liga
Barcelona remain three points clear at the top (Jose Miguel Fernandez de Velasco/AP)

Boateng's miss proved costly as two minutes later Enis Bardhi's attempt to play his way out of trouble backfired spectacularly.

The loose ball fell to Messi, who jinked his way across the outside of the
penalty area before providing an improbable reverse pass for Luis Suarez to volley home.

Two minutes before half-time Messi doubled the lead, this time after a mistake by Ruben Rochina on the halfway line.

Rochina's pass went straight to Sergio Busquets, who immediately sent Messi
racing through to fire through the legs of keeper Oier and into the net.

Levante had clearly not learned their lesson as, two minutes after the restart,
another loose pass in midfield handed Barca their third.

This time Suarez led the charge before feeding Jordi Alba, who drove the ball
across the area for Messi to sweep home.

Messi completed his treble on the hour, Suarez bulldozing his way down the left before crossing to Arturo Vidal, who laid the ball back for the Argentinian to tap in.

Valverde said of the Argentina ace: "I don't know how to describe Messi, it's the most asked question.

"He is the player who makes us play and scores great goals."

Levante's already slim hopes of replicating last season's scoreline disappeared when they lost Erick Cabaco to a red card 14 minutes from the end.

Instead Gerard Pique helped himself to the fifth, wandering the length of the
field exchanging passes as he went before wrapping up the scoring.

Valverde added: "We're in a good dynamic and now we have the game with Celta, which is important in order to go on our holidays with this advantage (at the top of table)".

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Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde pictured on November 24, 2018
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid29226164204472
2Barcelona29197360342664
3GironaGirona29195559342562
4Athletic Bilbao29168550262456
5Atletico MadridAtletico29174854342055
6Real Sociedad291210742311146
7Real BetisBetis29101273433142
8Valencia28117103232040
9Villarreal29108114751-438
10Getafe2991193742-538
11Las PalmasLas Palmas29107122932-337
12Osasuna29106133343-1036
13AlavesAlaves2988132635-932
14Mallorca29612112535-1030
15Rayo Vallecano29611122538-1329
16Sevilla29610133644-828
17Celta Vigo2969143244-1227
18CadizCadiz29313132040-2022
19Granada2828183058-2814
20Almeria29110182857-2913

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