'No remorse': Football world explodes over 'filthy' Lionel Messi act

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has lit up the internet with a brutal moment in his side's 5-1 drubbing of Real Valladolid in La Liga.

Two sublime Lionel Messi goals helped fire Barcelona back to the top of the table at the expense of a Valladolid side that were thoroughly outclassed.

However, it was a ruthless move from Messi on an opposition player that proved the highlight of the match for many viewers.

Messi is no stranger to making defenders look silly and Valladolid No.10 Óscar Plano became his latest victim in an eye-catching passage of first half play.

Barca's intricate passing game was put to the test when Valladolid pressed them deep inside their own half in the 36th minute.

As is so often the case, however, Messi had all the answers as the Argentine cheekily passed the ball through the incoming Plano's legs.

Messi followed up his audacious 'nutmeg' with an exquisite through-ball that launched a dangerous counter-attack for his side.

Slow motion replays showed Plano’s utter frustration the moment he realised he’d been bamboozled by Messi.

The exquisite moment left viewers and commentators in a frenzy.

Messi struck in either half, his first with a landmark 50th career goal direct from a free-kick, while defender Clement Lenglet, Arturo Vidal and Luis Suarez were also on target.

Kiko Olivas had hauled Valladolid level in the first half after Lenglet's early opener.

Barca go top in stunning fashion

However, it was one-way traffic from there as Barca swept aside the visitors to leapfrog Granada back to the summit with a seventh-straight win in all competitions.

Barca, without a game at the weekend after the postponement of El Clasico for security reasons, made a flying start.

France centre-half Lenglet lashed home into the top corner from a corner in the second minute.

Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was unable to gather Michel's excellent free-kick from the left and Olivas forced the ball home with his knee to level the score.

Vidal scored just before the half-hour mark as he raced on to Messi's sublime through ball and dispatched a low finish beyond Valladolid goalkeeper Jordi Masip's reach.

The visitors were punished again five minutes later after midfielder Anuar Mohamed had fouled Nelson Semedo in the final third, within Messi's strike range.

The Argentine curled a sublime left-footed free-kick into the top corner for his fourth goal in as many matches to give his side a two-goal cushion.

Messi provided another sublime finish with 15 minutes left after taking Ivan Rakitic's through ball on with his thigh and cracking home a volley with his next touch.

And two minutes later he provided the assist for Suarez to add Barca's fifth.

Atletico Madrid have had to settle for another league draw after conceding a late equaliser to be held 1-1 at Alaves.

It was the fourth draw in the past five league matches for Atletico, who are third but could drop to sixth after other matches are played in the mid-week round.

Substitute striker Alvaro Morata put Atletico ahead from inside the area in the 70th minute but Lucas Perez equalised in the 83rd with a beautiful long-range shot after going past two defenders.

It was the fifth consecutive match with a goal for Perez.

Morata has scored in three straight games, always coming off the bench.

With AAP