Messi masterclass earns him standing ovation from rival fans

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi had rival fans standing and applauding after a sensational hat-trick during a 4-1 victory over Real Betis.

Messi opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a wonderful free-kick, before firing home from close range to make it 2-0.

But it was his third goal that had the Benito Vilaramin Stadium paying their respects to the maestro.

The Argentinian chipped Betis goalkeeper Pau Lopez from the top of the box with a sublime first-time effort, which rounded of his 33rd hat-trick in the Spanish top flight.

His performance prompted a unique reaction from the opposition crowd as they stood to applaud and chant the Argentinian’s name.

Barca now has a 10-point lead over Atletico Madrid and a 12-point lead over Real, and their talisman Messi has played a considerable role in their dominant title defence.

The Argentina international has now scored 27 league goals – more than anyone else in Europe’s top five leagues this term.

Remarkably, he has also scored more direct free-kick goals (four) and more goals from outside the box (seven) than any of his competitors those competitions.

But while Messi enjoyed a landmark night on Sunday evening, Barcelona did not have everything their own way despite the final score.

The league leaders only had 43.9 per cent of possession which is the lowest share of the ball they have had in any La Liga game since the 2004-05 campaign.

They also only registered three more shots than their opponents – 16 compared to Betis’ 13 – although only three of the home side’s efforts hit the target.

Barca next play Catalan rivals Espanyol after the international break and then face Villarreal before hosting Atletico on April 6.