Internet Desk : It was a rare day for La Liga on Saturday as both Gareth Bale and Lionel Messi notched up hat-tricks for their respective sides . Bale scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna after a Lionel Messi treble had fired Barcelona to the top of La Liga.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane got off to a flying start as he was given a hero’s welcome by his fans at the Bernabeu . Real footballers responded with a dominant performance, with Karim Benzema scoring twice, against ninth-placed Deportivo.
In another match Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to a 4-0 success at home to struggling Granada that lifted the Spanish and European champions above Atletico Madrid into top spot at the halfway stage of the campaign. Barca, who have a game in hand over their main rivals, lead on 42 points, with Atletico a point behind in second ahead of their game at fifth-placed Celta Vigo (31 points) on Sunday.
Real have 40 points in third spot, four ahead of fourth-placed Villarreal (36) who host Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
Fans at Bernabeu gave Zidane a rousing reception before kickoff , in sharp contrast to their recent treatment of the unpopular Benitez, who was abruptly sacked after less than half a season in charge. Zidane had in-form compatriot Benzema to thank for opening the scoring in the 15th minute when he cleverly backheeled a Sergio Ramos effort past Deportivo goalkeeper German Lux.
Bale, who scored four goals against Rayo Vallecano last month, made it 2-0 seven minutes later when he headed in a Dani Carvajal centre and the Wales winger crossed for Cristiano Ronaldo to nod against a post six minutes before halftime. Ronaldo turned provider four minutes into the second half and Bale clipped the Portugal forward’s low cross firmly past Lux to make it 3-0.
Bale completed his hat-trick, his third for Real, in the 63rd minute when he powered another header into the net from a Toni Kroos corner.
Bale became the first player in La Liga to score two trebles this season and the fans gave him a huge send-off when he was replaced by James Rodriguez with around 15 minutes left. Ronaldo squandered a host of chances before Benzema crashed home a shot in added time.
Earlier at the Nou Camp, Turkey playmaker Arda Turan, making his La Liga debut for Barca, set captain Messi up to score the opening goal from close range in the eighth minute.
The Argentina forward, who missed two months at the end of last year with a knee injury, made it 2-0 six minutes later from a clever Luis Suarez assist and a dominant Barca wasted several chances before halftime. Messi, favourite to win a fifth FIFA Ballon d’Or award on Monday, completed his 25th La Liga treble in the 58th minute after Neymar’s shot came back off a post, ending his longest hat-trick drought in six years.
Neymar added a fourth goal seven minutes from time when Messi, who was in an offside position, let the ball run through to the Brazilian and he lifted it over Granada goalkeeper Andres Fernandez into the roof of the net.