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Messi breaks Mueller record in romp

Lionel Messi scored his seventh La Liga hat-trick of the campaign in a 4-1 win at home to Malaga but it was not enough to avoid conceding the title to rivals Real Madrid.

The win at the Nou Camp, home of the dethroned champions, Barca briefly kept alive their title hopes until Real beat Athletic Bilbao in a later kick-off to clinch their 32nd Liga title.

Messi's treble made him the first man to score 68 goals in a season for a European top-flight club, breaking the record of 67 set by former Bayern striker Gerd Mueller in 1972-73.

After the home fans paid warm tribute to coach Pep Guardiola, who announced on Friday he was stepping down at the end of the season, captain Carles Puyol volleyed Barca ahead in the 13th minute.

Salomon Rondon levelled with a glancing header in the 26th before Andres Iniesta was felled on the edge of the penalty area and Messi stroked in the spotkick.

The 24-year-old scored a second penalty, which he won himself, in the 59th minute and was played clear by Iniesta five minutes later before dinking the ball over Malaga goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and sliding it into the empty net.

Defeat for Malaga dents their chances of overhauling third-placed Valencia and clinching Spain's third automatic place in next season's Champions League.

Valencia pulled three clear with a thumping 4-0 win at home to Osasuna with the visitors having Dejan Lekic sent off after he clashed with Adil Rami as the players were leaving the pitch at half-time.

Atletico Madrid's hopes of a lucrative place in next season's Champions League were dealt a huge blow when they had Gabi sent off and conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to Real Sociedad.