First Division - Day 27

Rayo Vallecano 1 - Barcelona 5

Rayo: Juan Carlos; Quini, Diego Llorente, Crespo, Tito; Trashorras, Iturra; Embarba, Piti (Joni Montiel 55’), Bebé (Amaya 69‘); Manucho (Javi Guerra 79‘). 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Bravo; Sergi Roberto (Aleix Vidal 71’), Piqué, Mascherano, Mathieu; Rakitic (Arda Turan 65‘), Busquets (Vermaelen 76‘), Iniesta; Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar. 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 22. Rakitic. Turned ball into net after Juan Carlos dropped cross at his feet.
0-2. 23. Messi. Picked up return Neymar pass and struck low shot past keeper.
0-3. 53. Messi. Poked shot back in to net after Luis Suárez shot came off post.
1-3. 57. Manucho. Header from close up after Bebé headed back Embarba cross.
1-4. 71. Messi. Ran on to Busquets through ball and fired shot wide of keeper.
1-5. 86. Arda Turan. Steered header past Juan Carlos after Mathieu crossed over.

Yellow cards: Arda Turan 77’, Neymar 87’ / red cards: Diego Llorente 42’, Iturra 68’.

Another day gone, and Barcelona stay eight points clear at the top of the table after a 1-5 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Thursday evening, a record 35th game in a row without defeat. Rakitic opened the scoring for Luis Enrique’s side after Juan Carlos dropped a Sergi Roberto cross at his feet, and just a minute later Messi made it two after running on to a return pass from Neymar, the referee waving away claims for offside. With three minutes to go to the break Rayo were left with ten men when Diego Llorente was sent off for a high tackle on Rakitic, and soon after the restart Messi scored the third after a shot from Luis Suárez came back off the post. Four minutes later Manucho headed one back for the hosts from Bebé’s headed pass, but with twenty minutes to go a Neymar free kick hit the bar, and Iturra became the second Rayo player to see red after he brought down Busquets as he lined up to fire home the rebound. Juan Carlos did save the resulting penalty kick from Luis Suárez, but a couple of minutes after that Messi completed his hat-trick, and Arda Turan connected with Mathieu’s cross to head in his first goal in a Barcelona shirt near the end.