Rayo Vallecano 1-5 Barcelona: Lionel Messi hat-trick sees off nine-man hosts and stretch lead at top of La Liga to eight points

Barcelona don’t need gifts to win games but they were presented with two in a dominant win over Rayo Vallecano in which Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick.

Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper Juan Carlos dropped a simple cross at the feet of Ivan Rakitic on 22 minutes to open the floodgates.

And after Messi had doubled Barca’s lead Rayo had Real Madrid loanee Diego Llorente sent off just before half time for a wild challenge on Rakitic.

Ivan Rakitic converts from close range to put Barcelona into the lead following a dreadful error by Juan Carlos in the Rayo Vallecano goal

Rakitic celebrates his goal, which set Barcelona on the way to yet another win in their incredible unbeaten run

Lionel Messi doubled the visitors' advantage a matter of seconds later, after swapping passes with Brazilian star Neymar

Messi added two more for his hat-trick and has now scored 20 goals in 16 games this year.

He could have had four but allowed Luis Suarez to take a penalty which he missed. It was Barca’s seventh missed spot-kick this season.

Substitute Arda Turan scored his first goal for Barcelona to make it five and Rayo finished the game with nine men after Manuel Iturra was also sent off. 

'I didn't see any referee out there tonight,' complained Rayo coach Paco Jemez after the game. 

The opening goal came after Sergi Roberto centred from the right and the home side’s keeper came out for what should have been a comfortable catch but he spilled it straight to Rakitic who scored his fourth goal of the season. Only the front three have scored more and they were soon in on the act.

Messi fed Neymar down the left and he pulled the ball back to the Argentine who scored the second. 

It could have been three when Neymar hooked the ball across the face of the goal for Suarez but his volley went straight to the goalkeeper.

For all their defensive frailties Rayo will always create and they could have pulled one back. Adrian Embarba crossed from the left and Quini should have found the target with his free-header.

Having so nearly narrowed the deficit Rayo then made the second half an irrelevance when Llorente was shown a straight red for a foul on Rakitic.

The young defender was perhaps unlucky. He got the ball as both players threw themselves into the challenge but he caught Rakitic on the follow through and referee Inaki Vicandi showed no mercy. 

Messi drifts away from Diego Llorente and Manuel Iturra - the two men who would later be shown red cards - on the edge of the box

The Barcelona stars congratulate Rakitic after his first goal, which was a gift from the home goalkeeper after 22 minutes

Iturra clears the ball from Messi, but Rayo's attacking formation left them unable to cope with the world's best player

The Rayo bench was furious and there were bizarre scenes at half time as the referee walked off the pitch with Rayo coach Paco Jemez walking slowly in front of him, obliging him to take longer to leave the pitch giving the Rayo supporters more time to whistle him. 

He finally made it down the tunnel with a couple of shield-carrying riot police in close attendance.

Rayo have had five players sent off this season. They lack discipline at times, but what they definitely don’t lack is courage and an unwavering belief in attacking football and with ten men they were the first to threaten with Claudio Bravo charging from his goal to stop Bebe converting.

The third was not long in arriving though. Suarez hit the post and the ball rolled out to Messi who scored his second of the night and the 300th Barcelona have scored since Luis Enrique took over at the start of last season. 

Luis Suarez hods the ball up under pressure from Tito, as Barcelona's front three continued their incredible run of form

Despite his dreadful error to allow the first goal, Juan Carlos made some important saves, including this one to deny Messi

Messi celebrates his second goal, which looked to have put the game to bed, with Barca three goals up against 10 men

Rayo responded immediately when Bebe beat Sergio Roberto to a far post header from Embarba’s cross. He nodded across the face of the goal and Manucho headed in his fourth goal of the season. They were still flying forward as if the comeback was on.

It wasn’t, and things got even worse on 68 minutes when Iturra was shown a straight red for tripping Busquets. He was the last man with the goal gaping in front of Busquets but Neymar was offside from the free-kick leading to the trip.

Barça have been awful from the spot this season and Suarez’s kick was saved by Juan Carlos. Barcleona have now missed seven of their 13 penalties equalling an unwanted club record.

Messi made amends on 72 minutes. He could have completed his hat-trick from the spot but he got his third from his next chance beating Juan Carlos from just inside the area.

Turan came on as a late substitute and was amost sent off after a foul on Quini. The referee pulled out a red instead of a yellow and in view of the way he had refereed the rest of the game for a moment Turan feared the worse. He stayed on, and headed in his first goal for the club from Jeremy Mathieu’s cross to make it five. 

Neymar puts the ball just wide when clean through on goal, as Barcelona looked to close out the game against a side reduced to nine men

Suarez appeals unsuccesfuly for a penalty, but the Uruguayan was unable to convert from the spot when his side did get awarded one

Messi fires home his third goal as Barca completed their 35th game since their last defeat, a new Spanish record

The world's best player celebrates his third goal, and his 20th in 16 games since the turn of the year