Lionel Messi Scores Hat-Trick, Barcelona Crush Levante 5-0 in La Liga

Barcelona booked their third La Liga win in a row on Sunday, beating Levante 5-0 on the road. Lionel Messi stole the show with a hat-trick and two assists, orchestrating the win.

Levante were more than game initially and nearly took the lead through Emmanuel Boateng, but Messi teed up Luis Suarez with a wonderful pass for the opener. Things turned into one-way traffic after that, with the Catalans displaying ruthless efficiency in front of goal. Gerard Pique also got his name on the scoresheet.

Erick Cabaco was sent off for the hosts.  

The Blaugrana remain at the top of the standings, three points ahead of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.

Valverde Is Barcelona's Weakest Link

It may be hard to believe given the final scoreline, but Levante gave the Blaugrana a few scares in the first half and were arguably the better team for long stretches of play before the opener.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde once again tinkered with his formation and produced perhaps his biggest head-scratcher yet, playing Ousmane Dembele as a wing-back.

Sportswriter Andy West was curious to see what would happen given the youngster's defensive limitations:

The 21-year-old was burned on multiple occasions and booked after a clumsy tackle, but he could hardly be blamed―he's played as a forward for years and has no experience whatsoever in a defensive role. Lee Roden thought it an odd fit:

While he struggled, Levante put together chance after chance, with Boateng hitting the cross bar and Marc-Andre ter Stegen producing an excellent save. It wasn't until Messi, Suarez and Sergio Busquets produced some magic that Barcelona became comfortable in the match.

It's but the latest example of Valverde's tendency to tinker with his system and have players move into spaces they're not comfortable. He continued after the break by replacing Thomas Vermaelen with Arthur, asking the central midfielder to play as a centre-back.

Barcelona's world-class talents bailed their manager out on Sunday against a solid team in fine form. This side leads La Liga despite of its manager and not because of his insights or brilliant tactics. At this point, Valverde is the Catalans' weakest link, and his experimentation could cost them against better sides in 2019.

What's Next?

Barcelona host Celta Vigo on Saturday, while Levante visit Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.