Deportivo: Fabricio; Juanfran, Lopo, Sidnei, Luisinho; Alex Bergantiños, Juan Domínguez; Isaac Cuenca, Medunjanin (Lucas Pérez 79‘), Cavaleiro (José Rodríguez 46‘); Oriol Riera (Toché 63’). 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Bravo; Dani Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Rakitic, Busquets (Marc Bartra 66‘), Iniesta (Rafinha 66’); Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar (Pedro 70’). 4-3-3.
Goals:
0-1. 10. Messi. Ran through to steer header over Fabricio from Rakitic centre.
0-2. 33. Messi. Lifted shot over keeper after Suárez played on Neymar cross.
0-3. 62. Messi. Picked up Rakitic pass and struck angled shot across keeper.
0-4. 83. Sidnei (own goal). Deflected Lopo clearance back into his own net.
Yellow cards: Oriol Riera 59’, Toché 64’, Bartra 68’, Dani Alves 78’.
Barcelona stay a point behind leaders Madrid, albeit having played a game more, after beating Deportivo 0-4 on Sunday evening. Messi helped himself to yet another hat-trick, the first coming in the tenth minute with a diving header from Rakitic’s cross just a minute after Fabricio had pushed a previous shot over the bar. With just over half an hour gone Iniesta, Neymar and Luis Suárez combined for Messi to lift a shot over the keeper, and Fabricio had to be at his best to keep out Luis Suárez before the break. Cuenca had fired a shot just over the top though before the break, and Claudio Bravo did well to save from Juan Domínguez soon after the interval. A few minutes later though Rakitic lobbed the ball across to Messi following a short corner for him to cut across and complete his hat-trick with an angled shot inside the far post, and Suárez could have added a fifth had Fabricio not kept him out later on.