Barcelona's procession to the Primera Division title continued on Thursday as the Blaugrana beat Rayo Vallecano 5-1 at the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas in Madrid, with Lionel Messi claiming a hat-trick.
Ivan Rakitic opened the scoring for Barca, and Manucho grabbed a consolation for Vallecano in the second half as Messi ran riot. Arda Turan wrapped up the points with a fifth goal in the final moments as Rayo were reduced to nine men after two red cards.
The win saw Barcelona achieve their 35th consecutive unbeaten match in all competitions, claiming the record originally held by Real Madrid in Spain.