Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has heaped praise on star forward Lionel Messi following another out-of-this-world performance
The Argentinean magician shone against, as the Blaugrana ran riot in another convincing La Liga home display, securing a comfortable 5-2 victory over Real Mallorca.
Only a few days since claiming the record sixth Ballon d’Or, the 32-year-old showed what he is capable of, demolishing the newly-promoted visitors almost single-handedly.
The crowd at the Camp Nou once again had a chance to witness his majesty at the peak of his game, as Messi scored another hat-trick to lead his side back to the top of the table.
Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 vs Mallorca:
— 4222 (@4222Football) December 7, 2019
Goals – 3
Match Rating – 10/10
Shots – 7
Key Passes – 4
Dribbles Completed – 6/8 (75%)
Ground Duels Won – 8/12 (67%)
Big Chances Created – 1
What a performance from the GOAT 🐐 pic.twitter.com/83yZjtSAUN
Messi’s treble against Mallorca was his 35th in Spain’s top-tier and has helped him beat his arch-nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo, to most La Liga’s hat-tricks scored.
After the match, Ernesto Valverde was quick to hail his standout performer’s output, insisting it was a ‘good way to celebrate’ the flattering award.
“Unbelievable,” the Spanish manager said, as reported by Goal.com.
“It was a good way to celebrate the Ballon d’Or.”
Messi’s three-goal haul propelled him straight to the top of La Liga’s goalscoring chart, leaving Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema one short in the second place.
