Messi makes best start to Liga season ever

Lionel Messi's double against Las Palmas on Sunday meant the Argentine is now off to the best goalscoring start of his Liga career.

With Camp Nou closed to fans due to clashes between protesters and police in Barcelona over the Catalan independence referendum, Barcelona defeated Las Palmas 3-0 on the strength of two second-half Messi strikes.

The double means Messi is now Liga's top scorer, and has a career-best 11 goals after seven La Liga matchdays.

Messi's previous best total after seven Primeira Division matchdays was 10 in the 2011-12 campaign.

With Neymar sold to PSG, Luis Suarez injured and out of form and new signing Ousmane Dembele a long-term injury absence, Messi has been forced to take on more of the scoring burden for the Catalans this term.

UCJ, UNILORIN.