London: Lionel Messi scored his 300th La Liga goal as Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the league with a 3-1 drubbing of Sporting Gijon.
The Argentine international scored his landmark goal in the 25th minute. He netted again six minutes later after Gijon had briefly levelled matters through Carlos Castro, the Guardian reported.
Subsequently, Luis Suarez curled home a sublime finish in the 67th minute to put a missed penalty behind him.
With the win, Barca extended their unbeaten run to 31 games and are six points clear at the top of the league standings. (ANI)