RECORD: Messi sets all-time single season scoring record

FOOTBALL - Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick tonight, giving him 68 goals in all competitions this season, breaking the all-time mark of 67 by Gerd Müller for Bayern München in 1972/1973. With his seventh La Liga hat-trick of this season he equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record also set this season.

> Messi had also scored a hat-trick in the first encounter with Málaga CF this season. The last player to score hat-tricks against the same opponents in the season was FC Barcelona’s Romário who performed the feat against Atlético Madrid in 1993/1994.

> Messi raised his season total to 46, the most by any player in Europe’s top 5 leagues since Tom Waring netted 49 times for Aston Villa in the 1930/1931 English top flight season.