Ask most players to recall any of the hat-tricks that they have scored during their careers and they will probably be able to do so with ease. After all, bulging the back of the net three times in one match is not something that happens every day.
However, it is not so easy where a certain Lionel Messi is concerned. It will no doubt come as little surprise to learn that no player has scored more hat-tricks in a Barcelona shirt than the little Argentine, yet the figure involved is still remarkable.
To date, he has 32 to his name, which means that he has trouble remembering them all, as he confessed during an interview earlier this year when he said: "Right now, as we speak, no [I don't remember them all]. I need to see the goals again or for somebody to tell me something about them to actually remember them."
© Getty Images
With that in mind, he probably will not recall it, but Messi scored one of that hefty haul during Mallorca's visit to Camp Nou four years ago today.
He actually went into the encounter having not scored in his previous three games for the Catalans, which by Messi's standards was a drought. But, within the opening 30 minutes against the islanders, the talisman had celebrated three times.
There was 13 minutes on the clock when he broke the deadlock after Mallorca's Emilio Nsue was penalised for handball inside the area. Dudu Aouate guessed the right way, but Messi's penalty had far too much pace and elevation for the visiting goalkeeper.
His second goal of the contest came eight minutes later when Isaac Cuenca's deep cross was volleyed back across the face of goal by Adriano for Messi, who instantly sent his low effort into the net.
The hat-trick was then completed in style as his profitable understanding with Barca right-back Dani Alves yielded yet anther return. The Brazilian swung over a cross which Messi, rather than controlling, half-volleyed beyond the reach of Aouate. Incidentally, that was Messi's 199th goal in all competitions for the Spanish side.
The one-way traffic continued after the restart, although Messi's scoring was completed for the night. Four minutes into the second half young winger Cuenca rounded Aouate to fire in what was his first senior goal for the club.
Alves then completed the rout in stoppage time with what was the best goal of the game when from a seemingly impossible distance, he rocketed a shot that flew inside Aouate's near post.
Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Abidal (Pique), Adriano; Busquets (Puyol), Keita, Thiago; Cuenca, Messi, Villa (Deulofeu)
Mallorca: Aouate; Cendros, Chico, Ramis (Zuiverloon), Bigas; Victor, Marti (Victor), Tissone (Crespi), Nsue, Alvaro; Castro
Liam Apicella
