The Argentine's latest surge of quality kept Los Blaugranas at the top of the league even with a game in hand.

La Liga will live its final pause of the year with Barcelona as the top team in the competition, but Real Madrid is now breathing down their neck. Los Blaugranas were able to come up with a convincing 4-1 win against Celta at home, but Zidane's men had built up the pressure earlier on Saturday by thrashing Eibar at Ipurúa. Now, both teams are tied at 25 points, with only two goals separating the two La Liga giants.

Atlético and Sevilla are one point behind the most followed clubs in Spain, while Real Sociedad dropped two spots in the standings after being held by Leganés to a one-all draw. On the other side of the table, Betis has gone one step closer to the relegation spots, which are currently owned by Celta, Espanyol and Leganés.

Speaking about the feats of the day, Lionel Messi once again stole the show with a hat-trick. It was a special occasion for the Argentine, as he is now even with his lifetime nemesis in one specific category.

It was also a night to remember for Diego Simeone, who has been able to see his philosophy dominate Spain for quite some time. He has even been able to surpass the stats of some coaching legends while at it.

Pichichi race

Lionel Messi has finally made his appearance into the top-five scorers in La Liga, but he is not the best just yet. "La Pulga" is now second behind Karim Benzema, who has been one of Real Madrid's driving forces this year.

La Liga standings after Matchday 13

Here's how things look like after the 13th weekend of action in the Spanish top-flight.