MADRID: Lionel Messi hit his 21st Barcelona hat-trick as his 10-man side edged a thrilling 5-4 victory at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
Jordi Alba and Cristian Tello got the other goals for Barca, who had Javier Mascherano sent-off on 48 minutes, while a Pizzi double, a Alex Bergantinos strike and an Alba own goal kept the home side in the game.
The win means Barca go three points clear of Atletico Madrid, who play on Sunday, at the top of La Liga.
Messi now has 11 league goals, two more than Cristiano Ronaldo who earlier scored for Real Madrid in a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo that kept Madrid right points behind the Catalan side.
Alba put Barca ahead on the north-west coast after only two minutes, bursting into the area to meet a Cesc Fabregas pass and finish well and, five minutes later, the lead was doubled.
Messi dinked the ball out wide for Tello who moved from right to left and then back to his right foot before hitting an unstoppable shot past Dani Aranzubia in the Deportivo goal.
Barca’s third 10 minutes later was the pick of the evening.
Mascherano played a forward pass from the halfway line that Fabregas controlled and back-heeled into the path of Messi who powerfully struck a left-footed shot into the top right hand corner.
Deportivo had been undone by Barca’s clever passing play in less than 20 minutes but came back quickly to earn a dubious penalty when Mascherano fouled Riki on 25 minutes that Pizzi converted.
Then, on 37 minutes, Bergantinos hit a shot from the edge of the area that Victor Valdes seemed to have covered but suddenly fumbled over the line to make it 2-3.
Barca appeared stunned only for Fabregas to then conjour up another brilliant pass for Messi to finish, this time with his right foot, to regain a two-goal cushion at the break.
However, Depor were not finished and within two minutes of the re-start Pizzi had smashed in his second from a free-kick.
Three minutes later Mascherano was given his marching orders for a second questionable clash with Riki who went down holding his face after the two tussled for a ball.
Messi then hit the bar from a free-kick and the action was non-stop as the home side tried to find an unlikely equalizer.
It was Messi who struck again for his third, wrestling to get the ball away from Spain’s World Cup winning defender Carlos Marchena before running at the remaining defenders before hitting a shot home to make it 5-3.
Again Depor hit back straightaway as Alba turned a ball into his own goal as he tried to stop Pizzi from hitting his own hat-trick.
Goalkeeper Aranzubia came forward for a last-minute corner but it was not to be for a battling Deportivo and Barca took the points in a breathtaking match.
Earlier Gonzalo Higuain and Ronaldo hit a goal apiece as Real Madrid eased past their unambitious opponents.
Higuain put Madrid ahead in the 12th minute when he powered down the left wing and hit what looked like a cross that curled into the far corner.
Madrid had further chances but needed the help of the referee more than an hour later when he awarded what seemed a controversial penalty after Mesut Ozil went down under a challenge from Gustavo Cabral on 68 minutes.
Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot to make it nine league goals for the season and give Madrid the points.
Valencia came from behind on two occasions to beat Athletic Bilbao 3-2.
Their former striker Aritz Aduriz twice put the visitors ahead, but a fighting performance, including a penalty from Roberto Soldado and a goal apiece from Tino Costa and Nelson Valdez in the last two minutes, gave the home side some respite from growing supporter displeasure after previously only winning two of their first seven games.
Malaga came from behind to beat Valladolid with a hard earned 2-1 home victory to stay in third position
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Messi hits 21st Barca hat-trick in nervy win
Messi hits 21st Barca hat-trick in nervy win
San Antonio Spurs extend domination of NBA-best Thunder
- After roaring to a 24-1 start, the Thunder have dropped four of their past six games — three of those losses coming to the Spurs
- Houston’s Amen Thompson scored 26 points to lead the Rockets over the host Los Angeles Lakers 119-96
- At New York, Jalen Brunson scored 34 points to lead the host Knicks over Cleveland 126-124
NEW YORK: Reigning champion Oklahoma City have the NBA’s best record, but they cannot beat San Antonio, with superstar Victor Wembanyama coming off the bench Thursday to help lift the Spurs to an emphatic 117-102 victory.
De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 29 points while Wembanyama had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes and guard Stephon Castle added 19 points for the Spurs, who stretched their win streak to eight games.
“My first Christmas game,” Fox said. “It feels great getting another victory.”
After roaring to a 24-1 start, the Thunder have dropped four of their past six games — three of those losses coming to the Spurs.
“When you play a team of this caliber, the details are much more magnified,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “We did a phenomenal job as the game progressed adhering to those nuances.”
Wembanyama wouldn’t call it a statement win for the season but he says the Spurs have learned from beating the Thunder.
“I’m not really sure it’s smart to think so far into the future,” said Wembanyama.
“This is like a playoff series. We played them three times in 10 days so we learned a lot on the technical side.”
Oklahoma City lost for the first time in 15 home games this season despite 22 points by reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder sank their first seven shots to take an 18-12 lead but the Spurs closed the first quarter on an 11-0 run for a 41-36 edge and never looked back.
“The guys were working their butts off,” Johnson said.
The Spurs improved to 23-7, second in the Western Conference behind the Thunder at 26-5.
Fox made 12-of-19 shots from the floor, 3-of-4 from three-point range.
“He was carrying us a little bit,” Wembanyama said. “He’s a guy who can make things happen.”
The Spurs have not reached the playoffs since 2019 and have not won a playoff series since 2017.
In other games, Houston’s Amen Thompson scored 26 points to lead the Rockets over the host Los Angeles Lakers 119-96.
Kevin Durant added 25 points and Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Houston.
“We wanted to come out here and play with a sense of urgency for 48 minutes,” Durant said. “The basketball world is watching you tonight.”
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 25 points while four-time NBA MVP LeBron James added 18 points.
James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, played in his 20th NBA Christmas contest, his holiday record falling to 11-9.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves had 12 points in 15 minutes before leaving with left calf soreness.
Knicks outlast Cavs
At New York, Jalen Brunson scored 34 points to lead the host Knicks over Cleveland 126-124.
The Cavaliers, led by Donovan Mitchell’s 34 points, grabbed a 103-86 lead with 10:25 remaining but New York closed on a 40-21 run to seize the victory.
Benson, who hit 6-of-12 from three-point range, lifted the Knicks ahead for good at 121-119 on a three-pointer with 65 seconds remaining.
It was Benson’s 90th 30-point game as a Knick, a total eclipsed only by Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony.
Jordan Clarkson added 25 points off the New York bench.
At San Francisco, Stephen Curry scored 23 points despite shooting 6-of-18 overall and 2-of-10 from three-point range to lead Golden State over Dallas 126-116.
“Didn’t shoot it well but we got a great win,” Curry said. “Just focused on the details of what this team can do to win.”
Seven Warriors scored in double figures with Jimmy Butler contributing 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
The Mavericks’ 19-year-old forward Cooper Flagg, the second-youngest NBA Christmas starter after 18-year-old James in 2003, scored a game-high 27 points.
Dallas star Anthony Davis exited after playing only 11 minutes with what appeared to be a groin injury.
Dallas guard Klay Thompson scored seven points in a return to the Bay Area, where he helped Golden State capture four NBA titles.
