Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates his team's second goal during a La Liga match against Eibar, at Camp Nou, in Barcelona, Spain, on Jan. 13, 2019.David Ramos/Getty Images
That’s 400 and counting.
Lionel Messi took his all-time Spanish league scoring record to 400 goals on Sunday after contributing to a 3-0 win over Eibar to keep defending champion Barcelona comfortably at the top of the Spanish league.
Messi scored Barcelona’s second goal shortly after halftime to reach a milestone in the competition after 435 league matches.
In all competitions, Barcelona says the 31-year-old Messi has scored an astonishing 575 goals in 658 appearances.
Barcelona’s all-time top scorer got the landmark goal in the 53rd minute after Luis Suarez passed to him inside Eibar’s area. The Argentine did the rest by opening an angle around a defender and driving in a low left-footed shot.
It was also Messi’s league-leading 17th league goal and his 23rd goal over all this season.
“He should be proud,” said Suarez, who scored Barcelona’s other two goals. “Game after game he shows what a great player he is. I am happy for him and for the history that he is writing for this club.”
Barcelona stayed five points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid, which edged Levante 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Antoine Griezmann, as the league reached its midway point.
SUAREZ DOUBLE
Suarez opened and concluded the scoring for Barcelona at Camp Nou.
The Uruguay striker exchanged two quick passes with Philippe Coutinho to break down Eibar’s backline before he skillfully directed a shot into the far corner of the net while falling down in the 19th.
Goalkeeper Asier Riesgo did well to turn back attempts by Suarez and Messi. But he was left all alone against Suarez when Sergi Roberto caught the defence out of position with a quick throw-in directly to Suarez, who shot past Riesgo from a tight angle in the 59th.
Suarez is second in the league behind Messi this season with 14 goals.