NICOSIA. – Lionel Messi became the all-time top goalscorer in the Champions League soccer with a hat-trick and Luis Suarez registered his first goal for Barcelona in a routine 4-0 win away at Apoel Nicosia on Tuesday.

Suarez finally got on the scoresheet in his fifth appearance since a club record move from Liverpool in July with a fine turn and finish on 27 minutes.

However, he was upstaged by his Argentine teammate as Messi surpassed Real Madrid legend Raul’s mark of 71 goals just days after also becoming the top scorer in the history of La Liga when he stabbed home Rafinha’s mishit shot 10 minutes later.

Messi added his second of the evening just before the hour mark before both sides were reduced to 10 men as Rafinha and Joao Guilherme saw second yellow cards. And fittingly it was Messi who had the final word as he turned home Pedro Rodriguez’s low cross three minutes from time to take his tally to 74 Champions League goals in 91 games.

“I am pleased to have achieved such a nice record in such a nice and important competition but the really important thing is the three points,” Messi said in a television interview.

His achievement is the latest milestone in a stellar career and comes three days after he broke the six decades-old La Liga scoring record with a hat-trick in Barca’s 5-1 home win over Sevilla. Messi overhauled former Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra’s tally of 251 goals, set in 1955, and has 253 in 289 league games for the Catalan club he joined as a 13-year-old.

Messi’s 74 Champions League goals came in 91 appearances, while Raul needed 142 for Real and Schalke 04 for his 71. Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who ended Messi’s four-year run as World Player of the Year in 2013 with his second award, has scored 70 Champions League goals in 107 matches.

The Portugal captain was expected to close the gap when Real played at FC Basel in Champions League Group B last night.

Barca had already qualified for the Champions League last 16 along with group leaders Paris St Germain, who won 3-1 at home to Ajax Amsterdam.

Barca need to beat the Ligue 1 side when they meet at the Nou Camp on December 10 to secure top spot.

“We will try to keep going in the same way and meet the objectives we set ourselves at the start of the season,” Messi said.

“The PSG match is going to be tough. They have some very good players and they are a team who are growing and improving all the time.

“But we are playing at home so we’ll try to play a great match and finish first in the group.”

PSG’s 3-1 victory over Ajax means that Barca need to win when they host the French champions in two weeks’ time to secure top spot in Group F.

Despite having lost three of their previous four matches in the group, Apoel had shown plenty of resistance in losing by just the one goal twice against PSG and away to Barca on matchday one. – AFP. However, they were swept aside with ease by Luis Enrique’s men who con

irmed an upturn in their form of late after thrashing Europa League champions Sevilla 5-1 on Saturday.

Messi had a great chance to break the record inside two minutes when he shot straight at Urko Pardo in the Apoel goal.

Barca’s captain for the evening then teed up Suarez with a low cross, but Pardo did well to get down to stop the Uruguayan’s fierce low effort before Jordi Alba volleyed well off target from another wonderful Messi pass.

After providing four assists in his first four Barca matches, Suarez finally found the net when he turned his marker on the edge of the area before slotting past the helpless Pardo into the far corner.

Ten minutes later Messi made more history when he turned home Rafinha’s effort with his right foot to eclipse Raul’s mark having played 51 fewer Champions League games than the Spaniard.

Barca’s domination continued after the break and resorted to provider for Pedro seven minutes after the restart, but the Spanish international pulled his effort inches wide.

Messi was more clinical when he latched onto Dani Alves’s through ball to squeeze the ball past Pardo to double his tally for the evening.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen had enjoyed a blissfully quiet evening in the Barca goal, but he was suddenly called into action 24 minutes from time as he flew to his right to deny Tomas De Vincenti.

Rafinha was then first to be given his marching orders as he chopped down De Vincenti from behind before Guilherme balanced up the numbers when he clumsily brought down Pedro six minutes from the end.

And there was still time for Messi to further embellish his historic night as, knowing he was in an offside position, he intelligently let Xavi’s through ball roll into Pedro’s path and was then on hand to slot home his cut-back to complete his hat-trick. – AFP.

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