2nd Hat-trick In Two Games For Lionel Messi As Barca Crush Plzen 4-0

Published November 2, 2011 | By Rolly

Lionel Messi was the star of the show after he bagged his 2nd consecutive hat-trick as Barcelona smashed Viktoria Plzen 4-0 to seal their passage into the last 16.

Messi bagged another hat-trick after hitting three against Real Mallorca on the weekend in a 5-0 rout, and the Argentine’s gigantic appetite for goals never ceases to abate.

His latest trio of strikes (his 14th in a Blaugrana shirt) puts ‘The Flea’ even closer to breaking Barcelona’s all-time goalscoring record and saw him surpass the 200-goal mark for the European champions.

Meanwhile goalkeeper Victor Valdes broke Miguel Reina’s record of 824 minutes without conceding, as coach Pep Guardiola also oversaw his 200th game in charge on the night.

Stunned, yet equally delighted, Barcelona President Barcelona president Sandro Rosell heaped praise on the best player in the world and compared his feat to “being like Christmas!”

“Messi is amazing, simply amazing,” he told TVE after the match. “I don’t know how you can describe Messi, there are no more adjectives.

“It’s a great night. Pep’s 200 [games], Messi’s 200 [goals], and Valdes has broken the record of the legendary Reina.

“For the board of directors, we just try and manage everything the best we can, but with this team, what more can you ask for? It’s like Christmas, asking for everything and getting it all.”