Lionel Messi resumed the season in devastating form scoring one and creating two assists as leaders Barcelona thrashed Real Mallorca 4-0 at an empty Estadio de Son Moix on Saturday.

The win extends Barca’s lead at the top to five points with ten games remaining although Real Madrid can bring it back to two if they beat Eibar on Sunday.

Barca were quick off the blocks taking just two minutes to take the lead when Jordi Alba set up Arturo Vidal.

From there onwards it was all about Messi, as the Argentine set up Martin Braithwaite to score his first goal for Barca eight minutes before half time.

Messi, clean shaved and sporting full length slicked back hair turned provider again setting up Alba to score Barca’s third in the 79th minute.

Substitute Luis Suarez making his first appearance since January having recovered from injury then ensured Messi got on the score sheet for Barca’s fourth with nearly the last kick of the game.

Suarez was previously expected to miss the rest of the season but the coronavirus-induced break helped the Uruguayan recover fully and Barca will be glad to have him back in the title run-in with Real Madrid chasing.

Messi’s goal means he has now scored at least 20 La Liga goals for the 12th consecutive season.

No other player in the top five European leagues has reached that milestone in that period (2008-09-2019-20) with archnemesis Cristiano Ronaldo only managing to hit 20 plus goals in the last 11 seasons ( he netted 18 Premier League goals for Man United in 2008-09).