Messi, Suarez lead Barcelona to a new club record beating Girona

BARCELONA, Feb 25 (AP): Lionel Messi gave another masterful performance and Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick to lead Barcelona to a new club record after routing Girona 6-1 in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Messi took his competition-leading tally to 22 goals as Barcelona increased its lead of the Spanish league to 10 points before second-place Atletico Madrid visits Sevilla on Sunday.

Barcelona broke its club milestone for longest unbeaten run in La Liga that had stood at 31 games since the 2010-11 season under former coach Pep Guardiola. The win over Girona was Barcelona's 32nd league game without a loss after going undefeated through all 25 rounds this season under Ernesto Valverde plus the last seven from the last campaign under Luis Enrique.

Real Sociedad set the league record of 38 games without a loss in 1980.

After setting up the first of Suarez's goals, Messi danced around two defenders to give Barcelona the lead on the half-hour mark.

He added another goal six minutes later with a superbly struck free kick that he sent low under the players in the defensive barrier when they jumped, anticipating he would try to shoot over them.

"When you think you have seen everything he goes and surprises you with a goal like that from the free kick," Valverde said about Messi.