Football news - Lionel Messi nets 50th hat-trick as Barcelona snatch win at Sevilla

Lionel Messi almost single-handedly dragged Barcelona from behind to claim a 4-2 win over Sevilla they barely deserved.

Indeed, the Spanish champions and La Liga table-toppers looked on course for a damaging defeat for much of this match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, but a hat-trick from Messi saw the Catalans escape with an important three points to extent their lead at the top of the table to 10 points.

Sevilla took the lead after 22 minutes when Jesus Navas slid a finish on the counter attack past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. However, Messi equalised in stunning fashion with a Zinedine Zidane-esque volley from an Ivan Rakitic cross.

Gabriel Mercado scored a second for the hosts to give them a lead at the break that they merited. But Ernesto Valverde made a couple changes at the break which gave Barcelona fresh impetuous.

Messi equalised for a second time with an astonishing right-foot finish into the top corner of the net and then completed his hat-trick, and the comeback, with an opportunistic chipped finish over Tomas Vaclik. As if that wasn’t enough, Messi put on an assist in stoppage time as Luis Suarez put the finishing touches on the win.

Can Lionel Messi keep saving Barcelona? How many times have we been here before? Any team would be reliant on a player of Messi’s quality, but time and time again they require the Argentinean to dig them out of holes. Is it really feasible to ask Messi to keep doing this, though? Barcelona now face back-to-back away games against Real Madrid, with a Champions League knock-out match against Lyon after that. This is where their season gets serious. They need to up their level. Messi can’t save them every time… can he?!

Lionel Messi (Barcelona). The funny thing about this match-winning performance from Messi was that he actually started sluggishly. It was his loose pass that led to the opener from Sevilla and on the basis of his display in the first 20 minutes he was still someway short of match fitness. How that changed. Messi pretty much won this game all on his own for Barcelona, who were poor. Where would the Catalans be without their number 10?

Sevilla: Vaclik 6, Mercado 6, Kjaer 6, Gomez 5, Navas 7, Wober 6, Banega 6, Rog 5, Sarabia 6, Ben Yedder 5, Promes 7. Subs: Vazquez 5, Amadou 5, Mesa 5.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen 5, Semedo 5, Pique 6, Umtiti 5, Alba 5, Vidal 5, Busquets 5, Rakitic 7, Messi 9, Suarez 7, Coutinho 5. Subs: Roberto 7, Dembele 7, Alena 6.

22’ - GOAL! Sevilla 1-0 Barcelona. The perfect counter attacking goal from the hosts! It was actually a pass from Messi that Sevilla pounced on and it was Navas who slid the finish across goal and into the far corner of Ter Stegen's net! Sevilla have a 1-0 lead over the champions.

26’ - GOAL! Sevilla 1-1 Barcelona. Oh my goodness! What a sensational goal from Messi! He has been sloppy today and then he comes up with that! Rakitic pulled back the pass from the left and Messi slammed a volley into the top corner. Think Zidane against Bayer Leverkusen. Sensational.

42’ - GOAL! Sevilla 2-1 Barcelona. The home side are back in front! It was strangely passive defending from Barcelona. Sarabia was played in at the byline, he cut back for Mercado, who guided an excellent finish into the far corner of the net! Sevilla have the lead for a second time!

45’ - DOUBLE CHANGE! Valverde has seen enough and he has made TWO changes to his team for the start of the second half. Semedo and Vidal have been hooked, and Roberto and Dembele have come on in their place.

68’ - GOAL! Sevilla 2-2 Barcelona. Another astonishing goal from that man! The clearance from Vaclik was poor, but there was still so much for Messi to do when he received the short pass from Dembele. He got a snapshot away and found the very top corner with a right-footed strike. Wow.

85’ - GOAL! Sevilla 2-3 Barcelona. Incredible. Sevilla have played well, Barcelona have been poor, but Messi has saved his team with a hat trick! Alena's shot takes a massive deflection off Kjaer and falls to Messi, who clips a clever finish over Vaclik to put Barca ahead!

93’ - GOAL! Sevilla 2-4 Barcelona. And that will be that. Suarez has put the finishing touches on the win for Barcelona. Messi dinked the pass over the defence for his teammate and friend, and Suarez dinked the finish over Vaclik. What a comeback from the Catalans.