DOWNLOAD: Barcelona 4-1 Villarreal (2016/2017) La Liga Highlights LIONEL MESSI, Neymar and Luis Suarez take their joint tally up to 102 goals as Barcelona go three points clear of Real Madrid to go top of La Liga.
Neymar opened the scoring after Messi’s deflected strike was turned in by the Brazilian, but ten minutes later Cedric Bakambu equalised on the half-hour mark for the visitors.
But Messi put Barca back into the lead when his low strike from the edge of the box flew into the bottom corner with the help of a slight deflection.
Suarez extended the lead for Luis Enrique’s side after he lashed a shot across goal which ended up in the far corner.
Villarreal suffered more damage in the 82nd minute by Messi from the spot after a penalty was harshly given for handball.
Messi is also the first player in Europe’s top 5 leagues to hit 50 goals this season.
Barca got off to the perfect start when Neymar took advantage of a blocked shot from Messi to prod home the opener from close range after 21 minutes.
However, Villarreal striker Bakambu continued his brilliant form to bring the visitors levels just when he streaked clear of Gerard Pique before slotting home his seventh goal in six games.
Both sides then passed up big chances to go in front in a wildly open game as Pique just couldn’t reach Messi’s cross and Roberto Soldado headed over at the other end.
Barca got a slice of luck to regain the lead just before the break as Messi’s effort from the edge of the area deflected beyond Andres Fernandez.
Suarez took that tally to 101 and killed the game off as a contest when he turned Jaume Costa and fired low and hard past Fernandez.
Costa was also the man at fault as he was harshly adjudged to have handled inside his own box after a
sensational piece of skill from Neymar eight minutes from time.
And Messi chipped the resulting penalty down the middle of the goal to round off the scoring.
