Messi hat-trick sends Barca top

---

Argentine striker Lionel Messi (left) scores three goals in 5-0 route of Tenerife Sunday.

MADRID, Jan 11 (AFP): Lionel Messi scored a sensational hat-trick as champions Barcelona nudged Real Madrid off the top of the table crushing Tenerife 5-0 away Sunday for their first victory of 2010.
Barca scored three times in a destructive nine minutes with Ballon D'Or winner Messi scoring two of them (36, 45) before clinching his hat-trick with a nonchalant curler late in the second half to join Valencia's David Villa on 12 goals at the top of the goalscoring charts.
"It was complicated for us at the beginning but we scored some quick goals and that changed things," said Messi. "I am delighted with my three goals and more importantly the team won, however, it is a bit unfair on Tenerife."
Real Madrid had leapfrogged Barca with a 2-0 home win over Real Mallorca earlier on Sunday but Pep Guardiola's side responded to move back to the summit two points ahead of Real.
Barcelona's next challenge is at Sevilla in the second leg of the last 16 Kings Cup tie in which they trail 2-1 from the first leg.
Madrid had moved top of the Spanish league for the first time since the end of November with goals from Esteban Granero and Gonzalo Higuain overcoming Mallorca as they maintained their flawless home record with a ninth consecutive win.
"When Real Madrid are on song we are difficult to stop," said Granero, nicknamed 'The Pirate'. "I am happy to get on the scoresheet and that we beat a difficult rival in testing conditions.
"We just have to carry on like we are doing and Barcelona will have to slip up at some stage."
However, Real's stay at the top was brief as Barca recovered from a shaky start to put Tenerife to the sword with Messi so inspirational that even the home Tenerife fans were applauding him at the end.
Carles Puyol was also on target with an Ezequiel Luna own goal completing the scoring after great footwork from Pedro Rodriguez.
It was tough on Tenerife who lost 6-0 the last time they hosted Barcelona in the top-flight back in 2001.