Lionel Messi gave all football fans a timely reminder of his talent as he scored a sensational hat-trick against Sevilla. The Argentine was once again the man to bail his teammates out in a game which could easily have ended in defeat for the Blaugrana. Ernesto Valverde’s side were forced to play below-par for larger parts of the game and even fell 2-1 behind at half time. Jesus Navas opened the scoring for Sevilla in the 22nd minute, having been set up by Ben Yedder. However, Messi pulled Barcelona level four minutes later with a well-taken strike. Against the run of play, the home side again went ahead just before the half-time break, this time Mercado coolly slotting past Andre Ter Stegen. But the second half would prove to be the Messi show, as the Argentine put up a scintillating performance to overturn the result. First, the 31-year-old equalised for Barca in the 67th minute after combining well with substitute Ousmane Dembele. Messi then put the league leaders 3-2 ahead with five minutes to go, completing his hat-trick in the process. As if that was not enough, the Barca no.10 turned provider as he set up Luis Suarez to score the Blaugrana’s fourth goal. The 4-2 win keeps Barca at the top of the Liga table and stretches their lead over title rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, who will both play on Sunday. On Twitter, though, it is Messi’s hat-trick that has got many football fans stupefied. The Argentine continues to prove himself week in, week out. His third goal against Sevilla on Saturday actually marked his 36th goal in 35 games against the Andalusian side. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best tweets following Messi’s latest hat-trick against Sevilla: Also see : La Liga Transfer News, Fantasy Premier League , Fantasy Premier League Tips 50th career Hat-trick 650 career goals 25 @LaLiga goals so far Who else apart from the little genius Leo Messi. #SevillaBarça pic.twitter.com/UYUcKW0vgc — Johnson Gunner 🇰🇪. (@KaharoGeneral) February 23, 2019 It's been a Messi day pic.twitter.com/fwJ1SbGRzJ — Michael Oti Adjei (@OtiAdjei) February 23, 2019 What is greatness? Score 3 and assist 1 against sevilla in Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium Lionel Messi, pure greatness ! !#GOAT , pic.twitter.com/ZWDrCImjxo — Littlefinger (@IluvMaGaf) February 23, 2019 Messi bails out Barcelona again. pic.twitter.com/movJ35ZFem — B/R Football (@brfootball) February 23, 2019 When somebody says messi is not the GOAT pic.twitter.com/kJbFzmkpXP — Temii♠ (@ManlikeTemii) February 23, 2019 messi is so powerful hes trending twice at the same time pic.twitter.com/ft07t9SpiS — amela (@heavytear) February 23, 2019 Messi to Real Madrid whenever we get a slight chance to winning La Liga again pic.twitter.com/urCKChdok9 — Xav Salazar (@XavsFutbol) February 23, 2019 A Sevilla fan after Messi completed his hattrick in a comeback to win it at their own stadium. Simply couldn’t hate on greatness, had to admire like he was on his team. pic.twitter.com/RNrBUAXiDn — ጃግና (@BreatheMessi_) February 23, 2019 Defenders when they go against Messi pic.twitter.com/AqMaEx5P2G — Barcelona Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) February 23, 2019 There is nothing in this world more elegant than a Messi’s goal! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Udm6iAl7UE — Sachin Babu (@TweetsbySachin) February 23, 2019 Messi vs Sevilla: 3 goals ⚽ 1 assist 👟 The greatest footballer ever pic.twitter.com/s3jauCJB6U — Messi World (@MessiWorId) February 23, 2019 There are soccer players. And then there is Lionel #Messi. pic.twitter.com/hOEQkHglIK — Roger Gonzalez (@RGonzalezCBS) February 23, 2019<doc-sep>L ionel Messi scored his 50th hat-trick as Barcelona came from behind twice to beat Sevilla. Questions were asked ahead of kick-off as to whether Barca’s Argentine talisman should start this contest, with two Clasico’s on the horizon. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has not looked quite right since suffering the problem in the 2-2 draw at home to Valencia at the beginning of February, struggling to regain his rhythm in his three-and-bit appearances since. The 31-year-old came off the bench to play the last 27 minutes against Real Madrid in the teams' Copa del Rey semi-final first leg before featuring for the whole 90 minutes against Athletic Club and Valladolid in La Liga, and again away to Lyon in the Champions League on Tuesday. But start he did, so star he would. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / AFP/Getty Images Twice Barca would trail in Seville. Twice Messi would drag them level. Former Man City winger Jesus Navas put the hosts ahead on 22 minutes before Messi scored his first of the match, four minutes later. Sevilla would regain their lead just before the interval through Gabriel Mercado before Messi scored his second. The 31-year-old would complete his hat-trick with just over five minutes remaining on the clock, before Luis Suarez secured all three points with Barca’s fourth in stoppage time. Team line-ups, match action and reaction Sevilla XI: Vaclik, Mercardo, Kjaer, Gomez, Navas, Banega, Rog, Sarabia, Wober, Ben Yedder, Promes Substitutes: Amadou, Mesa, Silva, Soriano, El Haddadi, Vazquez, Arana Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen, Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba, Vidal, Busquets, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez, Coutinho Substitutes: Dembele, Malcom, Lenglet, Murillo, Roberto, Alena, Pena Can't see the Sevilla 2 Barcelona 4 blog? Click here to access our desktop page.<doc-sep>Quality Sport Images/Getty Images Barcelona moved a step closer to the La Liga title on Saturday, beating Sevilla 4-2 at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan thanks to a hat-trick from Lionel Messi. The forward twice erased deficits after Jesus Navas and Gabriel Mercado scored first-half goals. The Blaugrana pushed for a late winner and Messi delivered on the 85th minute, bagging his 50th career hat-trick: Luis Suarez ended his goalless run in the 93rd minute to put the final score on the board. The win pushed Barcelona's lead to double-digit points in the standings, but Atletico Madrid still have a match in hand. Barcelona's Defensive Issues Make Real Madrid Favourites for El Clasico Samuel Umtiti made his first start for the Catalans since November, but if fans thought that would hand the team's defence a boost on Saturday, they were sorely mistaken. The hosts twice took the lead in the first half, and individual mistakes proved costly on each occasion. Video Play Button Videos you might like Navas' opener was a direct result of Messi turning the ball over in a bad position, and none of his team-mates could make up for the mistake. To Messi's credit, he made up for the error with a stunning volley almost immediately. The Andalusians would restore their advantage through Mercado, and this time it was Sergio Busquets who allowed his man far too much space, per The Spanish Football Podcast: Individual errors and passive defending have become serious issues for the Catalans, who often make up for their defensive struggles with brilliant attacking play. Outscoring opposition works against smaller clubs, but rivals Real Madrid will feast on the Blaugrana, who are slumping in defence at the worst time possible. With back-to-back Clasico matches on the schedule in the Copa del Rey and league, respectively, Real―who were on a lengthy win streak in La Liga until they lost to Girona―have to be considered favourites at this point. Umtiti lacks match rhythm, and Barcelona's defence as a whole has too many issues to fix in a short amount of time. Valverde Must Drop Suarez for Dembele in Copa Clasico Suarez had another poor outing against Sevilla, continuing a slump that started back in January. Although he ended his scoring drought in the closing minutes, fans will likely be disappointed by his overall performance. Prior to Saturday, the 32-year-old's last goal came in the Copa del Rey against Sevilla, and he had gone five matches without finding the net. Ahead of Saturday's contest, manager Ernesto Valverde backed the former Liverpool man: Calls to drop him will only become stronger ahead of Wednesday's Clasico. In Andalusia, Suarez looked passive, ruining several promising attacking moves by losing the ball or being caught out of position. He did set up two good chances with his passing, but until the last-minute goal, the good could not outweigh the bad. Half-time substitute Ousmane Dembele was far more lively, and while he too made mistakes, his energy proved vital. He recorded an assist for Messi's second goal, and that should give Valverde plenty to think about for the match against Real. Messi has found plenty of success in a central role this season, and he should return to the false-nine role against Los Blancos, with Dembele and Philippe Coutinho flanking him. Suarez could do with some time on the bench, and he could be used as a super-sub against Real. Shaking things up a bit may be just what the veteran forward needs, while Dembele deserves another start on the back of his stellar play. What's Next? Barcelona will visit Real Madrid for the return leg of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. On March 3, the two giants meet again at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga. Sevilla's next match will also be on March 3, against Huesca.<doc-sep>Lionel Messi scored the 50th hat-trick of his career as Barcelona twice came from behind to defeat Sevilla 4-2 in La Liga. Messi's goalscoring love affair with Sevilla continued at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium as he has now scored more goals against them than any other team - 36 in 35 matches, including what is now three hat-tricks. It is also a new La Liga record for most goals against an opponent, taking his tally to 28 against Sevilla, pulling away from a tie with former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, who had netted 25, also against Sevilla. The game had to wait until the 19th minute for its first clear-cut chance, only for a swift Sevilla break to culminate in Wissam Ben Yedder's shot taking a deflection wide after the Frenchman had evaded the challenge of Samuel Umtiti, the defender back in action after three months out with a knee injury. Ben Yedder was then involved in Sevilla's opener just three minutes later as a surging run from a counter-attack, sparked by a misplaced pass from Messi finding Quincy Promes, resulted in the Frenchman picking out Jesus Navas inside the area, leaving the midfielder to drive home his first goal for 13 months. The home side's lead was short-lived, however, as just four minutes later Messi cracked home a stunning 16-yard volley in meeting a left-wing cross from Ivan Rakitic. Image: Gabriel Mercado put Sevilla 2-1 up Defying their form going into the game of one win in eight league games, Sevilla went into the break with a 2-1 lead courtesy of Gabriel Mercado's third goal of the season in the 42nd minute, with the Argentine defender striking home from eight yards after Pablo Sarabia had picked up Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen's kick. Just after the hour mark Messi played in an out-of-form Luis Suarez, and despite a challenge from Kjaer and penalty appeals, referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz dismissed the claims and opted not to consult VAR. Midway through the half Messi equalised for the second time, curling home a superb strike past goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, whose poor kick to Ousmane Dembele allowed the forward to tee up his mercurial team-mate. Five minutes from time Messi then netted the 650th goal of his career, delightfully chipping the ball over Vaclik after a shot from Carles Alena had been blocked. Suarez wrapped up the result in injury time, ending a six-game scoreless run with a lob over Vaclik, courtesy of a Messi pass. Elsewhere Getafe beat Rayo Vallecano in a Madrid derby. Jaime Mata and Jorge Molina Vidal scored for the hosts, either side of a Raul de Tomas strike. That put Getafe two points clear of Sevilla and Alaves, with the latter having been held to a goalless draw by Celta Vigo, who edged two points clear of the drop zone. Raul Garcia's first minute goal was enough to give Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 win over Eibar in the evening's mid-table battle.<doc-sep>
Lionel Messi is mobbed by his Barcelona teammates after scoring an amazing opening goal against Sevilla, his first of three in the 4-2 win. (Reuters/Marcelo del Pozo) We’ve gotten used to Lionel Messi demonstrating otherworldly feats of ability on a weekly basis over the last dozen years, but every now and then the world’s best player — and perhaps the GOAT — still pulls off a performance capable of making even the most jaded fan’s jaw drop to the floor. Such was the case on Saturday, when Messi’s 50th career hat trick gave La Liga-leading Barcelona a crucial 4-2, comeback win away to Sevilla. Messi scored the visitors’ first three goals and assisted on the fourth by Luis Suarez in stoppage time. The best of the lot was his first strike. With Barcelona training 1-0, the little Argentine swung his left foot at a driven, waist-high cross from Ivan Rakitic, connecting with the ball perfectly and blasting his 22nd league goal of the season past keeper Tomas Vaclik: WATCH: "Mama Mia! World-class from Lionel!" — @RayHudson Messi hits a perfect volley into the top corner to equalize for @FCBarcelona 🎯😳 ⏯ #SevillaBarca https://t.co/6mXcUDGlOw — beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) February 23, 2019 Unfortunately for the visitors, Sevilla responded before the half was over through right back Gabriel Mercado, Messi’s teammate with Argentina’s national squad, who fired the hosts back in front three minutes before the break. But Messi pulled his side level again in the second half with another spectacular tally. The sequence began with an errant Vaclik clearance that was intercepted by Rakitic. The Croatian fed substitute Ousmane Dembele on the wing, and Dembele found Messi lurking in space just outside the box. The 31-year-old did the rest, settling the ball quickly with one deft touch before firing past a helpless Vaclik: Story continues After that, the 40,000 spectators inside Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium might have guessed how the match would end. Indeed, the home supporters watched in horror as Messi completed his hat trick and gave Barca its first lead of the contest with five minutes to play, this time off a cruel deflection off of defender Simon Kaer that left Messi with a simple finish, at least compared to his first superhuman strikes: WATCH: 🎩 Messi continues to torment @SevillaFC_ENG, completing his hat-trick with a cool chip to give @FCBarcelona the lead late on 👀 ⏯ #SevillaBarca https://t.co/a5rfFkn3Zl — beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) February 23, 2019 The goals were Messi’s 34th, 35th and 36th in 35 career games against Sevilla, the La Liga team Messi has tortured the most since his 2004 debut. With the victory, Barcelona sits 10 points above second place Atletico Madrid and 12 clear of chief rival Real Madrid, at least for now. The Spanish capital’s twin powerhouses are both in action on Sunday, with Atleti hosting Leganes and Real traveling to Levante. Meantime, Barcelona will now turn its attention to the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Wednesday against Real at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. The teams tied the opener 1-1 at Barca’s Nou Camp earlier this month. Doug McIntyre covers soccer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre. More from Yahoo Sports: • Panthers safety Reid rips ‘false narratives’ about Kaepernick • Sohi: DeRozan loves and loses again in return to Toronto • Sources: Warriors’ Green close to hiring LeBron’s agent • Report: Harper meeting with Phillies owner in Las Vegas