Messi snaps scoring drought with first-half hat-trick and 4 goals

Lionel Messi broke out from a four-match scoreless stretch by scoring four times in Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Eibar.

At the end of January, Lionel Messi was averaging a goal just about every 101 minutes for Barcelona this season.

So when he went the next four matches in all competitions – 360 whole minutes – without scoring it qualified as something of a scoring drought. Never mind that he did add six assists in those four games, it was as close as Messi comes to something like a cold spell.

Order was returned to the Blaugrana universe on Saturday, as Messi scored four goals, including a first-half hat-trick, Barcelona’s 5-0 La Liga win over Eibar.

Messi had actually gone 393 minutes since his last La Liga goal by the time he netted his first on Saturday to open the scoring.

The first goal was a spectacular solo effort, as he skipped through a couple defenders, megged another at the top of the box, held off pressure and clipped in a clean finish.

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His second was a little more straightforward, a couple classically clean Barcelona passes sending him free into the box before lashing an inch-perfect low shot across the goalkeeper. Really though, it was a reminder of the way he makes things that should be difficult, even for other world-class players, look effortless.

The third wasn’t as spectacular by his standard, as he cleaned up a loose ball from a couple yards out to complete his hat-trick inside the opening 40 minutes. The 40-minute hat-trick, something that could be the highlight of any other player’s career, was only his second-fastest ever.

The fourth, added late, was another display of effortless class. He received a cross from newcomer Martin Braithwaite and toyed with the Eibar goalkeeper, taking him for a walk across the six-yard box until finally depositing it in the net.

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Shortly after that, Arthur added Barcelona to round out the 5-0 rout of Eibar.

Next up for Messi and Barcelona is a Champions League trip to face Napoli. The Blaugrana have plenty of unfinished business in the competition after painful exits the past two seasons and it looks like Messi has found his scoring form in time for the knockout rounds.