At times, it was a struggle. In fact, for what seemed like an eternity, things weren't going to plan for FC Barcelona on Sunday evening. A goal against the run of play from Sergio Garcia had shocked the crowd into silence, while a disciplined display from the Espanyol backline had all but rendered the Blaugrana frontline impotent; we needed a spark. We needed something, someone to turn the tides...someone like Lionel Messi, who bailed out Luis Enrique's side for the umpteenth time, striking either side of half-time to turnaround the deficit and eventually secure the three points.
Combine Messi's decisive brace with a header from Gerard Pique and a rare La Liga goal from Pedro, and Barcelona looked set to win in comfortable fashion before Lionel Messi completed his hat-trick to place the figurative icing on the three points. Five goals, three points and back into second place. All in all, not a bad weekend for the club.
Catch up on all the action from tonight's match with our highlights package above, and by checking out our comprehensive match review available right here.
