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Magnificent Messi becomes top scorer in Catalan derby

Lionel Messi became the top scorer in the history of the Catalan derby with his strike in Barcelona's 4-1 win over Espanyol on Sunday.

The Argentina star took his tally against Barca's city rivals to 15 with a sublime finish following a deft Luis Suarez pass in the closing stages at Camp Nou.

Messi's tally for 2016 now stands at 51 goals, making him the top scorer in all competitions for the calendar year of any player in Europe's top five leagues. He could yet add to that total in Barca's final game of the year against Hercules in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.