Messi equals Xavi’s appearance record at Barcelona

Lionel Messi scored twice and made another on the day he equalled Xavi’s 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 a controversial penalty for Huesca at the end of the first half, but Barca cruised to the victory.

They move second in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

The 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.

Messi, whose contract expires at the end of this season, will break former Spain midfielder Xavi’s record on Sunday if he plays in the league game at Real Sociedad.