Barcelona equaled the Spanish top flight record of 38 successive games without defeat following their 3-1 La Liga win over Leganes on Saturday.

By the victory, the Catalan side have matched Real Sociedad’s unbeaten run between 1979 and 1980.
La Liga top scorer Lionel Messi struck a hat-trick for the runaway leaders. Barca’s last defeat in the league was a 2-0 loss at Malaga on April 8, 2017.

Messi had finely curled home a 30-yard free-kick before smashing home a Philippe Coutinho through ball to make it 2-0.

However, Leganes responded through Nabil el Zhar who pulled one back before, abain, Messi scored from Ousmane Dembele’s assist to complete his 45th career hat-trick.

According to sports data website, Opta, Messi’s free-kick goal makes him the first player to score from outside the box in six consecutive La Liga games since Opta started taking statistical notes in the 2003-2004 Season.

Barcelona is now seven games from an unbeaten La Liga season, with 12 points above second-placed Atletico Madrid.