Barcelona's Lionel Messi (top) celebrates with teammate Cesc Fabregas after he scored for third time against Valencia during their Spanish first division soccer match at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia September 1, 2013. REUTERS/Heino Kalis
MADRID (Reuters) - World Player of the Year Lionel Messi netted a first-half hat-trick as Barcelona extended their winning start to their La Liga title defence with an action-packed 3-2 win at Valencia on Sunday.
A matter of hours before they sealed the purchase of Wales winger Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid racked up a maximum nine points when they beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at the Bernabeu, while Atletico Madrid also made it three wins in three with a 2-1 success at Real Sociedad.
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