Lionel Messi hit four goals for leaders Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick for Real Madrid as both sides recorded crushing La Liga victories yesterday ahead of their midweek King’s Cup semi-final meeting on Wednesday.

Messi took his league tally for the season to 33 and 202 overall in Barca’s 5-1 win at home to 10-man Osasuna, while Ronaldo passed 300 club goals and now has 21 this term as Real thumped Getafe 4-0 at the Bernabeu.

Barcelona’s return to winning ways after last weekend’s 3-2 reverse at Real Sociedad, put them 15 points clear of champions Real whose hopes of a second straight title are effectively over with 21 of 38 matches played.

Barcelona remain 11 points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who were beaten 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao.

Messi became the first player to score on 11 successive La Liga matchdays and, at 25, the youngest to reach 200 league goals. He has scored more goals himself than all the other La Liga teams apart from Real and Atletico and is on course to break the record for the most in a season (50) he set last term.