FC Barcelona 5-0 Mallorca (Matchday 10 La Liga 2011/2012)

Lionel Messi answered his critics with a superbly taken hat-trick inside the opening half-hour at Camp Nou as the Barcelona thrashed Mallorca 5-0 in La Liga.

The Argentine striker had gone three matches without scoring, evoking criticism for his recent performances but Barcelona’s No. 10 responded in emphatic fashion.

Messi’s first came courteous of a penalty which he thumped home into his top right corner leaving the ‘keeper no chance, and the Argentine turned in his second of the night just six minutes later.

Goal number 199 followed when Dani Alves’ inch perfect cross was turned home on the half-volley.

Isaac Cuenca added a fourth with his first senior goal and stunning Dani Alves strike late on helped lift Barcelona to the top of la Liga ahead of Real Madrid’s clash against Sociedad.

Barca dominated the early possession but it was Mallorca who came closest to taking the lead when Joao Victor burst onto a low cross only to divert his shot wide of the target.

And Mallorca were left ruing that miss when they found themselves a goal down not long afterwards when Emilio Nsue handled inside the penalty area giving Messi the chance to end his goal draught. The Argentine steadied himself before converting the spot-kick in emphatic fashion rifling the ball into the top corner of the net.

Youngster Cuenca then tormented Pedro Bigas before sending a devilish cross to the far post which Adriano volleyed, somewhat fortunately, into the path of Messi, who tapped home from close range to double Barcelona's lead 21 minutes in.

Lionel Messi had completed his hat-trick inside 30 minutes with a beautifully taken half-volley after Dani Alves swung a cross into the Argentine's path and he struck the ball perfectly with his left foot to move his Barcelona record to 199 goals in all competitions.

Barcelona started the second-half in similar fashion and had their fourth of the night when Isaac Cuenca rounded Aouate before hammering in his first-ever senior goal following Adriano’s intricately placed through ball.

There was still time for Dani Alves to add a fifth goal when he attempted an audacious shot from distance which dipped viciously below the crossbar to ensure a five-star performance from Guardiola’s men.

Mallorca failed to pressurise the Barcelona defence as the game sauntered to an end with Joaquin Caparros turning his attention to the match against Sevilla next week in pursuit of his first win as Mallorca’s coach.

Guardiola’s side will now shift their focus to the Champions League as they face a difficult trip to Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night.

Granada 0-1 FC Barcelona (Matchday 9 La Liga 2011/2012)

Xavi was the hero in Andalusia as the midfielder scored a brilliant free-kick on his record-breaking 392nd La Liga appearance to give Barcelona a narrow 1-0 away win against nine-man Granada at Los Carmenes, lifting the Catalans to the top of the league.

The away team dominated possession throughout yet looked ragged in attack and had to wait until the 33rd minute to take the lead, courtesy of the Spain international's sumptuous free-kick from 30 yards out.

Granada were dealt a massive blow in the 54th minute when Jaime picked up a second yellow card for a high challenge to reduce his side to 10 men. Dani Benitez also saw red for a second yellow card in stoppage time for kicking the ball away after being ruled offside.

Pep Guardiola's men leapfrog Levante and Real Madrid to move into first place in the league, with both sides in action on Wednesday night against Real Sociedad and Villarreal respectively.

Barcelona, who lost their 100 per cent Liga home record with a disappointing 0-0 draw versus Sevilla on Saturday, made a bright start in Andalusia, nearly taking the lead early on through Lionel Messi on 13 minute. The diminutive attacker side-stepped Fran Rico before narrowly missing the target with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

The away team continued to look the stronger and came close again on 22 minutes. After a slick passing move, Dani Alves chipped a precise ball onto the head of an unmarked Pedro. However, the winger could only direct his effort wide from 12 yards.

The Blaugrana were beginning to show signs of frustration until Xavi gave them a welcome lead on 33 minutes. The captain stepped up to curl a sensational free-kick over the wall, past the helpless Roberto and into the back of the net from 30 yards out - much to the delight of his adoring team-mates as the away team took a lead into half-time.

Granada made a bright start to the second period but were fighting a losing battle on 54 minutes when Jaime was shown a yellow card and given his marching orders. The attacker's foot was deemed too high as he unintentionally struck Maxwell's face with his boot.

Guardiola's men thought they had doubled their lead six minutes later when Messi chipped the ball over the on-rushing Roberto, yet Diego Mainz somehow managed to get back to hook the ball to safety off the line.

In stoppage time, Dani Benitez was dismissed for his second yellow card of the game. The winger on-loan from Udinese kicked the ball away after being ruled offside, with the referee given no choice other than to show the winger a red card as Barcelona held on for the victory.

The champions will be looking for another victory on Saturday when they entertain Mallorca at Camp Nou while Granada travel to Sevilla on Monday, where they will be looking to get out of the relegation zone, and build on their solitary triumph so far this season.

FC Barcelona 0-0 Sevilla (Matchday 8 La Liga 2011/2012)

Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas was the star of the show at Camp Nou on Saturday evening as his countless heroics earned his side a goalless draw against Barcelona in La Liga.

The Blaugrana dominated possession in the first half, and managed to create a few decent chances, but Sevilla goalkeeper Varas was the outstanding performer as he pulled off numerous saves.

Sevilla gave Barcelona cause for concern in the 15th minute when Emiliano Armenteros attempted an opportunistic half volley from just inside the Barca area, which had Victor Valdes scrambling across his goal, but the ball flew just by the post.

They came close again five minutes later when Dani Alves gave the ball away on the edge of the Barcelona box to Jesus Navas, who found room to strike a snap-shot at the top left corner, but Valdes was on hand to tip the ball around the post.

The best chance of the first half came five minutes before the break and involved some top class link-up play between Adriano and Andres Iniesta down the left hand side. The two exchanged a neat one-two before Iniesta slid the ball into the box for David Villa, who blasted at goal first time with his left foot but Javi Varas remained big and saved with his legs.

The second half continued in the same fashion, with Varas impressing in the Sevilla goal with a few very good saves. Barcelona came extremely close to taking the lead in the 72nd minute when Lionel Messi split the Sevilla defence with a sensational pass to the back post for Iniesta, who lifted the ball over Varas only to hit the top of the bar.

Marcelino's side had a great chance to take the lead two minutes later when Jesus Navas picked out a pass to Ivan Rakitic, who had a free run at the Barcelona goal, but the Croatian's first touch let him down and allowed the Barca defenders to smuggle the ball to safety.

There was drama in injury time as Federico Fazio brought down Iniesta in the penalty area and the Blaugrana were awarded a penalty. The decision caused uproar among the Sevilla players, and Frederic Kanoute saw red after grabbing the face of Cesc Fabregas. However, Sevilla hero Varas was on hand again as he dived to his left and parried away Messi's penalty. Fernando Navarro received a second booking in extended injury time after going in late on Pedro.

This result sees Barcelona drop to second place, one point behind rivals Real Madrid. Sevilla are fourth on 16 points. Guardiola's men will travel to Granada on Tuesday for midweek La Liga action while the Andalucians welcome Racing Santander.

FC Barcelona 3-0 Racing Santander (Matchday 7 La Liga 2011/2012)

Two goals from Messi and another from Xavi gave FC Barcelona a win over Racing Santander at the Camp Nou. With Iniesta back in the team, Barça stay top of the league table for another week.

This time the international break had no effect on FC Barcelona as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Racing Santander to hold onto top spot in the Liga table. They did so by staying faithful to their usual system, despite nine of the starting eleven having played international fixtures this week. Leo Messi was the star once again, scoring the first and third goals of the game, with Xavi adding another in between as the his side dominated the Cantabrians from start to finish. The performance was an ideal confidence booster ahead of two more important games at the Camp Nou against Viktoria Plzeň and Sevilla.

Messi marvel

For the first time this season, Guardiola started a match without either Busquets or Mascherano. Puyol and Piqué started in the centre of defence, although the latter withdrew injured shortly after kickoff, while Thiago acted as the linkman between defence and midfield. The football flowed as brilliantly as ever, with absolutely no sign of tiredness among the many internationals. The first goal came after a delightful combination play involving Iniesta and Messi. The Argentinian, with just four touches of the ball, left Bernardo and Toño standing before scoring an absolute peach of a goal. It also meant he has now beaten Kubala’s record.

Xavi gets second

The first half was a constant onslaught on the Racing goal. It was only a matter of time before FCB scored again, and that happened on the half hour, when Xavi nodded home a Pedro cross from the left. Puyol and Villa, twice, also had chances to extend the lead against a Racing side that had certainly come to play football, but Hector Cuper’s rapid-paced style only played right into the hands of the home side.

More from Messi

Nothing changed after the break. Barça continued to dominate possession and generate chance after chance. The pace may have eased off slightly, but it was still ideal for Catalans, who appreciated the drop in intensity due to possible fatigue in the wake of so much travelling over the last week. But there was still another goal to come, and that started with Andrés Iniesta going on a terrific run and then striking the ball onto the post, where Messi was ready to cannon the rebound into the net.

Rest for Iniesta and Pedro

The 3-0 scoreline satisfied Guardiola that the team had done its job, and Iniesta, who was playing his first game since getting injured against AC Milan and Pedro, who played for Spain on Tuesday against Scotland, were both brought off early. Keita and Adriano took their place in a game that almost ended with an amazing overhead goal from Abidal. You just never know what to expect from Barça, but it’s almost always amazing! The magic continues…

Sporting Gijón 0-1 FC Barcelona (Matchday 6 La Liga 2011/2012)

Barca's first league win under Guardiola had come at this ground in September, 2008, with a spectacular 6-1 success, and the Catalan giants began this match in familiar fashion with some excellent passing in midfield.

David Villa threatened against his former club with a fierce effort from the left, but saw his shot go just over the crossbar.

The Catalans then took the lead as Xavi struck the post with a powerful shot from distance, before Adriano followed up with a rebound and his effort took a deflection before nestling in the bottom right-hand corner of Juan Pablo's goal.

Barcelona continued to dominate the play after that, and Villa tested Juan Pablo with a fierce right-footed effort which the Sporting keeper did well to save low to his left.

The visitors were well on top and the home side showed their frustration in the 33rd minute when Nacho Cases brought down Sergio Busquets with a bad challenge, resulting in the first booking of the evening.

A minute later, Barcelona were appealing for a penalty as Lionel Messi was brought down in the box after making a run towards goal, but the referee remained unmoved.

Sporting almost levelled in the 41st minute, when David Barral took an elegant first touch in the Barcelona box, only for Eric Abidal to clear it before he could strike at goal.

The second half was a tepid affair, with neither side truly threatening.

The Catalans appeared to show some fatigue towards the end of the match as they began to squander possession, and they had to rearrange their back-line when Abidal went off with a suspected hamstring injury.

The away side created the last chance of the match when Messi’s shot towards goal found the feet of Dani Alves, only for the assistant referee to stop play for offside.

Barca were comfortable in the end, and move to the top of the table heading into the international break, with 14 points - the same total as Levante, who beat Betis earlier on Sunday.