Messi takes Barcelona 11 points clear, Ronaldo hits four

Lionel Messi delivered associate degreeother masterful performance as port sailed past Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Sunday to require an 11-point lead over nearest rivals Atletico capital of Spain in La Liga.

After golf stroke Chelsea to the arm within the Champions League period, Messi scored for the sixth game during a row against Athletic at the Camp Nou to propel Barca nearer to the domestic title.

"Every day he discovers one thing new, one thing completely different, he is terribly conscious of what he needs to do, what the team desires from him at every moment," Barca coach Erneste Valverde aforementioned of Messi, the Spanish league's leading scorer this season with twenty five goals.

"Many times it appears that the coach needs to teach the players, however what the coach extremely will is learn aboard them as things proceed. we tend to hope to stay on learning along."

Not to be outdone by his greatest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo then hit four goals as Real capital of Spain hewn Girona 6-3 to maneuver into third place, albeit still fifteen points off port.

A dominant begin from Barca yielded the gap goal when simply eight minutes as Messi found Jordi Alba out on the left, his pull-back showing neatness side- footed  into the so much corner by Paco Alcacer, filling sure the suspended Luis Suarez.

The hosts looked a relentless threat timely and Philippe Coutinho was denied a second once he discomposed the woodwork, whereas Ousmane Dembele ought to have done far better with simply Kepa Arrizabalaga to beat.

But the Athletic goalkeeper was overwhelmed to stay out a crunching low drive from Messi on the [*fr1] hour, the Argentine taking slightly to regulate a pass from Dembele before lashing home.

Coutinho, the club's record language, stricken the woodwork for a second time as he tried to lob Kepa when latching onto an original lofted pass from Paulinho, WHO then smacked a curling shot of his own against the upright.

- Record of strength nears -

Barca extended their undefeated La Liga run to thirty six matches geological dating back to last season, drawing to among 2 games of the record set Real Sociedad between 1979 and 1980.

"I would like to (break the record) however why keep it up talking concerning it if we are able to lose, win or draw future game," Valverde aforementioned. "We're not about to tempt fate. future match in port are going to be a awfully tough trip."

Real capital of Spain rescued third place from Valencia once Ronaldo took his La Liga goals tally this season to twenty two with four during a 6-3 triumph over Girona at the Bernabeu.

Ronaldo has currently scored twenty one goals altogether competitions in thirteen games since the flip of the year.

"I hope that he will catch Messi in La Liga (he is 3 goals behind), it is vital for him and for North American country," aforementioned Real coach Zinedine Zidane.

"When Cristiano plays well, the team plays well."

The Portuguese star opened the evaluation with a deflection when eleven minutes, adding his second off the crossbar 3 minutes when the break once the 2 sides had been barred 1-1.

Ronaldo teed up George Lucas Vazquez on the hour mark before finishing his hat- trick four minutes later and adding a fourth in stoppage time.

Welsh star Gareth Bale was conjointly on the scoresheet four minutes from time.

Second-placed Atletico effectively given their hopes of overhauling Barca at the highest, as 2 late goals from 20-year-old Turkey striker Enes Unal two-handed Villarreal a 2-1 triumph over Diego Simeone's facet.

Antoine Griezmann reborn a first-half penalty when he was obstructed by Jaume Costa, before Koke hit the post.

But Unal headed in associate degree 82nd-minute equaliser for the hosts and turned home a stoppage-time winner as Villarreal climbed up to fifth.

Sevilla crashed to a 2-1 league defeat by Leganes simply days when actuation off the surprise elimination of Manchester United within the Champions League.

The loss suggests that metropolis square measure progressively unlikely to qualify for the Champions League through La Liga this season.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad pillaged coach Eusebio sexton on Sunday with the team in fifteenth place with Imanol Alguacil put in till the top of the season.