Before Valladolid could regroup, the home side found themselves 2-0 down after 25 minutes.
Messi held off three opposition players before feeding the ball down the right for Serginho Dest and his low cross was slid past Masip by Braithwaite. Image: Messi set up Clement Lenglet s opener
Barcelona maintained their momentum at the start of the second half, as Braithwaite stabbed an early chance wide.
At the other end, Pablo Hervias angled free-kick was just off target of Marc-Andre ter Stegen s goal.
Masip then denied Messi again as the hour mark approached with another decent reaction save.
Barcelona s talisman, though, got his record-breaking goal after 65 minutes when played in by a neat backheel from Pedri.
Messi breaks Pele’s record as Barcelona ease to first away win since early October
Messi’s second-half goal saw him overtake the 643 that the Brazil great had amassed at a single club, Santos. By AFP Tuesday 22 Dec 2020, 11:32 PM Dec 22nd 2020, 11:32 PM 5,790 Views 5 Comments
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side s third goal, a record-breaker for the Argentinian as an individual.
Image: Cesar Manso
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side s third goal, a record-breaker for the Argentinian as an individual.
Image: Cesar Manso
LIONEL MESSI ECLIPSED Pele’s long-standing record of goals for a single club with his 644th strike for Barcelona in the 3-0 La Liga win at Real Valladolid.
Lionel Messi breaks Pele s record as Barcelona ease to win at Real Valladolid pressandjournal.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressandjournal.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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After drawing level with Pele s haul of 643 goals for Santos with a header in a 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday, Messi made it 644 in Barca colours across all competitions on Wednesday (AEDT).
Having created Clement Lenglet s opener before playing a key part in Martin Braithwaite making it 2-0 before the interval, Messi swept home from Pedri s clever flick in the 65th minute.
It rounded off a fine performance from Ronald Koeman s side, who ended their winless run in LaLiga away games at the fifth time of asking.
Messi was inches from opening the scoring in the seventh minute, bending an effort just wide of the left-hand upright from 25 yards out.