Lionel Messi celebrated a second successive World Player of the Year award with a hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed second division Real Betis 5-0 in a King's Cup quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Earlier, two goals from Alvaro Negredo and a late strike from Alexis scrambled a 3-3 draw for holders Sevilla at Villarreal.
-- Sevilla come back to draw 3-3 at Villarreal
Messi paraded the FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy on the pitch at the Nou Camp before kick-off, flanked by team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi who came in second and third respectively, and then took apart a valiant Betis. The Argentine scored the first just before halftime, dinking the ball over the goalkeeper from an Iniesta pass, showed persistence to score the second in the 62nd, and claimed his hat-trick with a breakaway goal 11 minutes later. He was given a standing ovation when he was substituted near the end, with the whole stadium chanting his name.
Pedro and Seydou Keita wrapped up the scoring to leave the second division leaders with a mountain to climb in the next week's second leg. Villarreal have played some of the best football in La Liga this season and deservedly took a two-goal lead with a volley from Cani and a deflected Giuseppe Rossi shot after a corner.
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