Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona recorded a 2-1 win over Real Betis in Seville on Sunday.
Two goals from the Argentine surpassed Gerd Muller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year, but the party was spoiled on the stroke of the interval as Ruben Castro cut the score to 2-1.
Betis hit the woodwork three times in the second period, but Barcelona held on to move six points clear at the top of the table.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics:
Real Betis
Shots 8
On target 3
Possession 35%
Corners 4
Fouls 17
Barcelona
Shots 12
On target 8
Possession 65%
Corners 5
Fouls 11
Was the result fair?
Barcelona were the better side for 40 minutes of the first half, but the second period was just about shaded by Betis. They hit the woodwork three times in the second half and but for some poor finishing they would have gained a point from the match. On the balance of play, a point apiece would have been just about correct.
Real Betis's performance
7/10. Not too many teams can fall 2-0 behind to Barcelona and respond with such courage and intensity. I suspect that Barcelona will admit that this was one of their toughest matches of the season. It was all about Messi in the early stages, but Betis's second-half performance demonstrated why they are such a force in the league this season.
Barcelona's performance
7/10. The opening period was all about Messi and rightly so. But their performance level certainly dropped in the second period. They played within themselves for large periods of the match but you always felt they were capable of raising the tempo. They have made a quite stunning start to the league season.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: Two goals for the Argentine took him into a class of his own with 86 goals in the calendar year of 2012. Will that record ever be broken? What an incredible achievement for a player still so young.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Betis should have been awarded a penalty in the opening 15 minutes when Gerard Pique handled in the area, but the linesman was not interested in giving the decision even through he had a clear view of the incident.
Referee performance
Carlos Velasco watched in awe as Messi broke the record in the first period of football. In truth, we did not see or hear much from him this evening. His calmness helped the way the match was played.
What next?
Real Betis: Betis face Celta Vigo in the league on December 17 either side of a Copa del Rey two-legged clash with Las Palmas. Meanwhile, they host Real Mallorca in their final league match before the winter break.
Barcelona: Barcelona are also in Copa del Rey action against Cordoba before the winter break. But their next league clash is at home to Atletico Madrid next Sunday.
Matt Law
