Online
\nIslamabad
\nLionel Messi scored twice and made another on the day he equalled Xavi\u2019s record for most Barcelona appearances.
\nMessi was playing for Barca for the 767th time and his curled double, along with goals from Antoine Griezmann and Oscar Mingueza, helped his side to a comfortable win over struggling Huesca.
\nRafa Mir scored a controversial penalty for Huesca at the end of the first half, but Barca cruised to the victory.
\nThey move second in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.
\nThe 33-year-old Argentina forward has won La Liga 10 times and the Champions League on four occasions among 34 trophies since he made his competitive debut as a substitute in a 1-0 away derby win against Espanyol on 16 October 2004.
\nMessi, whose contract expires at the end of this season, will break former Spain midfielder Xavi\u2019s record on Sunday if he plays in the league game at Real Sociedad.
\nBarcelona were knocked out in the last 16 of the Champions League by Paris St-Germain on Wednesday but still have hopes of winning a domestic league and cup double.
\nAgainst bottom-of-the-table Huesca, Messi scored after 13 minutes with a fine, left-footed curled effort from outside the penalty area before Griezmann added an almost identical goal 22 minutes later.
\nHuesca had lost 8-2 at the Nou Camp in 2018, but were given a fortunate way back into the game when Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was adjudged to have fouled Huesca\u2019s Mir.
\nThe striker, on loan from Wolves, converted the penalty, but the hosts restored their two-goal lead when Mingueza headed his first goal for the club following Messi\u2019s cross from the left wing.
\nMir had a chance to make it 3-2 but somehow chested the ball over the bar from only a few yards out. Messi grabbed his second goal of the night, and his 661st for Barcelona, with another curled, left-footed shot from distance in stoppage time.
\nThe win takes Barcelona, who have already reached the Copa del Rey final, above Real Madrid and into second with 11 league games of the season remaining.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Online Islamabad Lionel Messi scored twice and made another on the day he equalled Xavi\u2019s record for most Barcelona appearances. Messi was playing for Barca for the 767th time and his curled double, along with goals from Antoine Griezmann and Oscar Mingueza, helped his side to a comfortable win over struggling Huesca. Rafa Mir scored […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85521,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-180685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n