Lionel Messi's show-stealing performance left the Real Betis fans in complete awe after they started to applaud and chant his name during the match on Sunday. Yes, the Barcelona captain once again put on a mesmerising display against the opposition, but that didn't mean the supporters in the Benito Villamarín didn't -- and wouldn't -- pay their respect at another masterclass from the Argentine ace. One footage that has surfaced online shows Béticos fans giving the 31-year-old forward a massive round of applause inside the stadium, while another clip can clearly hear them chanting "Messi, Messi, Messi!" Advert 10 Check it out below. Now that's what football is all about. Take a bow, Messi! Advert 10 Unsurprisingly, fans have a lot of respect for the Villamarín faithful, despite seeing their side getting thrashed 4-1 at the hands of Barça. "That's why the [Real Betis] fanatics are so deeply beautiful. Passion. Respect. Love for the game. And above all, humility. Humility with talent is unstoppable," one Twitter user wrote (via a rough translation). Another said: "Rivals on the court, giants in the stands. My respect and admiration for the fans of [Real Betis]. The true essence of football." A third said: "Fortunate to have witnessed this work of art [Messi], one day they will be able to tell generations: I was there and I saw that hero's prowess and greatness. Public knowledgeable and admirable." Advert 10 Credit: PA A fourth added: "That's something that 'other players' will never experience, no matter how good they are, too. The supreme quality of Messi, and above all his humility, is something that others do not have." The reception was so humbling that even the five-time Ballon d'Or winner spoke about it after the match. "I don't ever remember a night like this [being applauded by rival supporters]," he told Movistar. Advert 10 "I'm really grateful for the way the fans responded. I honestly don't remember an ovation like that [from rival fans]." Credit: PA Messi opened the scoring in the match after firing home a beautiful 20-yard free-kick, which he followed up by completing a first-half brace. Luis Suárez added his name to the scoresheet with a superb solo effort, but Loren Morón was able to pull one back for his side. Advert 10 However, Messi returned to round off his fantastic performance with a perfectly executed chip past Pau López. Ernesto Valverde's men are at the top of La Liga after 28 matches, holding a ten-point lead over second-place Atlético Madrid and 12 points ahead of third-place Real Madrid. Will Messi inspire the reigning La Liga champions to the Champions League crown this season?<doc-sep>One of the more staggering things to realize about Lionel Messi’s career is this: If you were to talk about the game where Messi was so good the opposing fans gave him a standing ovation, they could reply: Which time? Messi has made a habit out of this. The latest time he was so breathtakingly brilliant that the opposing fans had to stand and applaud was this weekend, when he had a hat trick in a 4-1 Barcelona win over Real Betis. After Messi completed his hat trick, the Betis fans all over the stadium rose to their feet and applauded him. The last goal especially, an inch-perfect chip from no angle off a broken corner kick play, was so good the fans didn’t know what to do with themselves. Listen to the noise they make when it goes in. It’s sort of a shocked “gooooo-ahhh? !” then stunned silence, then applause, then more applause. He broke them. The Betis fans just had to applaud it…..#Messi pic.twitter.com/tMVEeIKdkd — Craig (@Craig_m93) March 17, 2019 Here they are standing for him: Sometimes, all you can do is applaud 👏 Real Betis fans showed their appreciation for a Messi masterclass 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6s5EiZ0jKW — Goal (@goal) March 17, 2019 This is becoming routine, but again, this is nuts. This isn’t some Dirk Nowitzki farewell tour where fans are saying goodbye to a beloved opponent. Messi is very much in his prime, and he’s destroying these teams, and he’s so good they can’t help themselves. I’ve never seen anything like this, and it’s happened multiple times with Messi. “Even though the opposition concedes goals to Messi they can still enjoy this unbelievable era which he has created, they enjoy it too and today they recognized that,” said Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde after the game, via Reuters. “It’s significant that they gave him this ovation, it’s an acknowledgment. Our rivals’ supporters have to suffer him but they also appreciate him, because of the player he is. Here’s all his highlights from the game against Betis:<doc-sep>Lionel Messi was so good last night in Barcelona’s win over Real Betis, that the home fans gave him a standing ovation as he tore their side apart. The Argentine was unplayable as he hit a hat trick for Barca, including a beautiful lob in the second half to complete his treble. A standing ovation for Alien Boy’s hat-trick from Real Betis fans last night. pic.twitter.com/jM26Fyc3AY — MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) March 18, 2019 Messi continues to show himself to be one of the greatest to ever play the game, showing no signs of slowing down as he nears his 32nd birthday. Betis fans certainly appreciated being able to watch this genius at work and applauded his performance in their own stadium.<doc-sep>Messi, 31, scored his 51st career hat-trick in a 4-1 win at their La Liga rivals on Sunday night We’ve become accustomed to a Lionel Messi masterclass over the last decade and the majestic Argentine served up another one of those on Sunday night as Barcelona ran rampant at Real Betis. After stealing the show against Lyon in the Champions League in the week with a double in a resounding 5-1 victory, the little magician was up to his old tricks back in La Liga as his stunning hat-trick put Real Betis to the sword in a 4-1 away win. 3 Lionel Messi was in typically majestic form on Sunday night as Barcelona crushed Real Betis Remarkably it was his 51st career hat-trick, and it wasn’t just the visiting faithful who were waxing lyrical about the 31-year-old. Messi left his team-mate Clement Lenglet in disbelief after he wrapped up his hat-trick with a simply stunning lobbed effort. And the sumptuous strike, with his first touch, was met with widespread applause from all across the ground, with Betis fans acknowledging the presence of a genuine football genius. They stood, applauded Messi and joined with Barcelona fans in chanting his name. Real Betis fans applaud for Messi pic.twitter.com/sUffeM6Y7a — IM10 (@messilya) March 18, 2019 Messi himself was clearly taken aback by the reception admitting after the game he had never witnessed anything like that ever before. 3 Messi celebrates with his team-mates on a night where he notched a 51st career hat-trick Real Betis fans stand and applaud Lionel Messi’s hattrick whilst singing his name. They know they are witnessing greatness. 👏🐐 pic.twitter.com/arkqNj6ODU — Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) March 17, 2019 Lionel Messi has just done this. pic.twitter.com/8I97bDP5ph — International Champions Cup (@IntChampionsCup) March 17, 2019 “I’m very grateful. It’s never happened to me before,” he said. “They always treat us very well, regardless of whether we’re rivals.” On a night to remember for Messi and co, the forward also etched himself into another piece of Catalan folklore, overtaking Xavi as the player with the most wins in Barcelona history – with 477 successes now to his name. 3 Messi acknowledges the crowd, with both sets of supporters coming together to applaud the football genius MOST READ IN FOOTBALL NEWS Woeful De Gea stat, Solskjaer 'not at Man United's level', Rashford abused after final INQUIRY Questions will be asked of Solskjaer after 'master' Emery nullified Man United DRAMA Man United stunned by Villarreal as Solskjaer's search for silverware goes on shocker De Gea's commitment doubted as he concedes 36th straight pen and misses in EL final NEW BLOOD Zidane 'decides to leave' Madrid with immediate effect as Khabib calls for Conte KON MAN Liverpool stars given warning about Konate as RB Leipzig defender ‘passes medical’ gone Conte leaves Inter: Spurs would be 'match made in hell' due to 'trail of carnage' Unsettled Willian would ‘love’ Chelsea return as Arsenal eye £40million replacement With 477 wins, Lionel Messi has now overtaken Xavi as the player with the most wins in Barcelona history 🔵🔴🐐 pic.twitter.com/t9SpSw1yJc — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 17, 2019 Messi is also now just one goal shy of becoming the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to hit 30 for the season after notching his third league hat-trick of the campaign against Betis. Remarkably, he has reached 30 + league goals in seven of the past nine seasons, with that total soon to reach eight. At the age of just 31 there were be plenty more goals and records for Messi to break – that’s for sure.<doc-sep>
There are no more words left to describe Lionel Messi. The Argentinian star was at his brilliant best as he helped Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Betis on Sunday evening. Having fired Barcelona through to the quarter-final of the Champions League with two goals and two assists in the midweek win over Lyon, Messi could have been forgiven for having a quieter night at the Benito Villamarin. But he was never going to let that happen. The 31-year-old opened the scoring with a delightful free-kick in the 18th minute. He made it 2-0 just before half-time, finishing off after Luis Suarez picked him out with a superb pass. Suarez added a third for the Blaugrana before Loren pulled a goal back for the hosts. Betis fans applaud Leo Messi Then came Messi’s hat-trick goal. And what a goal it was. After transitioning the ball from the right to the left, Messi chipped the ball over Betis goalkeeper Pau Lopez from inside the ball to complete the 51st hat-trick of his career. Even Betis fans inside the stadium stood up to applaud Messi, with chants of ‘Messi, Messi Messi!’ echoing around. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner expressed his gratitude at the reaction he received from the home crowd. He told Movistar that he couldn’t remember an ovation like the one he received, per Barcelona correspondent Samuel Marsden. Just what else can you say about him? He is playing better than anyone else in the world right now, making a complete mockery of his fifth-place finish at the 2018 Ballon d’Or. With 39 goals in 37 games, he’s enjoying yet another tremendous season and Barcelona should be thankful for him. With Atletico Madrid losing 2-0 to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, Barcelona’s lead at the top of La Liga now sits at 10 points. With 10 matches remaining, it’s hard to see how the Blaugrana aren’t going to make it four titles in five years. And they’re still hopeful of landing the Champions League and Copa del Rey. What a season it could be. News Now - Sport News