BARCELONA: Spanish champions Barcelona followed up their Champions League progression by re-establishing their credibility in the Liga race with a 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna.
Leo Messi scored a hat-trick to become the club’s all-time record marksman with 371 goals as Barcelona remained within striking distance of leaders Real Madrid and capital rivals Atletico.
The other goals came from Chile’s Alexis Sanchez (two), Cristian Tello and Pedro.
Before the game Barcelona’s record marksman was Paulino Alcantara with 369 goals. Messi pulled level by deflecting home a Pedro cross in the 18th minute then overtook in the 63rd minute. He claimed his hat-trick and goal No371 two minutes from time in his 452nd appearance.
Messi, 26, has set Barcelona records for most league goals (232), most goals in the Spanish Supercup (10), most goals in the Champions League (67) and most goals in the Club World Cup (four).
In 2011-12 he set the record for most goals scored by a player in a single La Liga season (50). In 2012, he set the record for most goals scored by a single player in a major league a calendar year (91).
He also scored:
Most Spanish league home goals in a single season: 35;
Most Spanish league away goals in a single season: 24;
Most Spanish league hat-tricks in a single season: eight; and
Most Spanish career league hat-tricks: 17
In 2012-13, he scored in 33 successive matches, also a record.
His next target is the Spanish league’s all-time record, held by Telmo Zarra (Bilbao) with 252 goals.
In Italy the Clarence Seedorf experiment at Milan hit further problems when the inexperienced Dutch coach saw his side lose 4-2 at home to Parma after having goalkeeper Christian Abbiati sent off in only the fifth minute.
Milan went 2-0 down, recovered to 2-2 then went down to late Parma strikes from Amauri and Jonathan Biabiany.
Milan have lost four successive matches in all competitions, Defeat in Serie A followed a 4-1 thraashing Atletico Madrid in midweek which eliminated them from the UEFA Champions League.
Milan fans staged a protest outside the Stadio Meazza before the game with veteran chief executive Ariano Galliani and striker Mario Balotelli the main targets of their ire.
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