Barcelona rides Messi hat trick to thump Espanol 5-1

Madrid, Dec 8: Lionel Messi scored a hat trick, powering Barcelona to a resounding 5-1 victory over local rivals Espanol at the Camp Nou Sunday.

Sergio Garcia opened scoring for Espanol in the 12th minute of the match, but Espanol could not take advantage of Barcelona's weakness during the first half, Xinhua reported.

Messi scored his first goal in the 45th minute before netting in the 49th and 80th minutes.

The two other goals for Barcelona were scored by Gerard Pique in the 49th minute and Pedro Rodriguez in the 76th minute.

Uruguayan international Luis Suarez did not have a great day for Barcelona and was replaced by Pedro.

Real Madrid leads the La Liga table currently with 36 points, followed by Barcelona with 34, while Atletico de Madrid is in the third place with 32 points.