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MADRID. — Lionel Messi has started yet another debate with Cristiano Ronaldo after sealing a stunning hat-trick for Barcelona against Real Betis on Sunday night.

The Argentine football superstar couldn’t help but admit his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo during last week’s Champions League action.

The Juventus ace struck a sensational hat-trick to dump Atletico Madrid out of the Champions League.

But in yet another case of “anything you can do, I can do better”, Lionel Messi continues to show his sheer brilliance.

The star scored a break taking hat-trick at Real Betis on Sunday night as Barcelona went ten points clear at the La Liga summit.

The first came from a free-kick when he fired the ball into the top left-hand corner.

He doubled his tally in the first half when he collected Luis Suarez’s back heel before finishing confidently.

The Uruguayan then got in on the act with a superb solo goal himself.

Real Betis pulled one back but the man of the moment, Messi then killed the game off in style to seal his hat-trick.

Collecting the ball from a cut-back, the 31-year-old chipped the ball first time in off the crossbar.

The goal sent fans on Twitter into meltdown, sparking more comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, but most fans think the Barcelona star is better after his hat-trick.

“Imagine thinking Ronaldo is better than Messi,” one fan put.

Another added: “How people can say Ronaldo is better than Messi totally baffles me.”

“Lionel Messi hat-tricks, Cristiano Ronaldo hat-tricks,” a third put.

Messi now has 26 La Liga goals this season and Barcelona still remain firmly on course for another historic treble.

Another fan tweeted: “LOL people are comparing Messi to Ronaldo.”

“Best player of all time, no arguments Lionel Messi is streets ahead of Ronaldo,” a fifth put. Even the Real Betis fans were applauding by the end as Messi scored another spectacular hat-trick to fire Barcelona to a 4-1 victory on Sunday and leave them with one hand on the La Liga trophy. — AFP.