Lionel Messi scored a brilliant hat-trick

 Lionel Messi scored a brilliant hat-trick as Barcelona survived Javier Mascherano’s red card to claim a thrilling 5-4 win at Deportivo de La Coruña that puts them three points clear at the top of La Liga.

Messi, who is expecting the imminent birth of his first child, has scored 71 goals for club and country in 2012 – only four short of the record set by Pelé in 1959.

“Messi is off to the hospital now for a happy occasion as his son is on the way,” the Barça sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, said.

Barça raced into a three-goal lead after just 18 minutes in a pulsating game at the Estadio Riazor. Deportivo pulled two goals back before Messi scored his second of the night to make it 4-2 at the break.

In a frenetic start to the second half, Pizzi curled in a stunning 47th-minute free-kick and Mascherano was harshly shown a second yellow card two minutes later.

The Barça coach, Tito Vilanova, reacted by replacing the excellent Cesc Fábregas, who provided three goal assists, with Xavi before Messi appeared to have killed the game when he made it 5-3 with a trademark run and clinical finish in the 77th minute, his 15th La Liga hat-trick.

A bizarre own goal from the Barça full-back Jordi Alba, when he lobbed his goalkeeper Victor Valdes from inside his own penalty area, gave Deportivo fresh hope but they were unable to make some late pressure count.

“We could have killed off the game in the first half but Deportivo are strong when they are playing at home and their fans get behind them,” said Barça’s playmaker Andrés Iniesta. “We are going away with the feeling of having got through a tough match and we will learn from that.”

Guardian