<!--Article Start--> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="document jq_ColDocument jq_ShareArea"> <div class="tooltipContent"> <div class="scrollContent jq_Content jq_langdir tinyscrollbar doctooltip-y fontsize_0"> <div class="viewport"> <div class="overview"> <h3 style="text-align: justify">Lionel Messi scored on his 500th Barcelona appearance as the European champions moved back to the top of the table with a 4-0 win over Real Betis as La Liga returned from a curtailed winter break on Wednesday.</h3> <p style="text-align: justify">Atletico Madrid remain level on points with Barca thanks to two goals in the final two minutes from Angel Correa and Antoine Griezmann to emerge 2-0 victors at Rayo Vallecano.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Barca celebrated their fifth trophy of 2015 before kick-off after adding the Club World Cup to their haul last time out with Messi captaining the side in the absence of Andres Iniesta.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"It has been a spectacular year and we wanted to finish it this way," said Messi.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"It will be difficult to improve on what we have done, but we always try. We have a great squad that are desperate to continue winning."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Yet, on a day dominated by controversial refereeing decisions, they were handed a gift to open the scoring after a decent start by Betis.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Antonio Adan clearly played the ball before catching Messi as he punched the ball to safety, but referee Inaki Vicando Garrido surprised everyone by pointing to the spot.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Neymar hit the bar with the resulting penalty, but Heiko Westermann could only turn the rebound into his own net under pressure from Ivan Rakitic.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">From Betis' misfortune the floodgates opened as a lovely one-two between Neymar and Messi allowed the later to tap home his 425th goal for the club.</p> . <p style="text-align: justify">Luis Suarez added a third with a cool finish from Sergio Busquets's pass inside the first minute of the second-half.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">And the Uruguayan rounded off the scoring seven minutes from time as Barca set a new record tally for the calendar year of 180 goals.</p> <p style="text-align: justify"><strong>By AFP</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <!--Article End-->