Barcelona defender Nelson Semedo claims Lionel Messi is ‘from another planet’ after his man-of-the-match display against Eibar on Tuesday night.

The Argentine took his goal tally to nine for the season after hitting four at the Nou Camp in a comfortable 6-1 win which sent Barca five points clear at the top.

The hat-trick was Messi’s 39th for Barcelona, his second hat-trick of the season, and his fourth goal was his 300th home goals for the club he joined as a 13-year-old.

And Semedo, who only joined the club from Benfica during the summer transfer window, has already been blown away by Messi’s qualities.

‘Messi is spectacular,’ the Portugal international told the club’s website.

‘It’s a privilege to play with him, he always surprises, he’s from another planet.’

It’s not just the goals that he is scoring, nine to far this season, its his all around game. Messi has completed 29 take-ons in La Liga this season; no other player has completed more than 14

Barca boss Ernesto Valverde was also full of praise for his star man after watching his side record a fifth straight La Liga win in style.

‘He is the most intelligent player that I have ever seen on a football pitch,’ he told a news conference.

‘You don’t know how, but he just appears. He’s extraordinary. There are no words.’